In brief
According to Gary Neville, the best atmosphere he has ever experienced was at a well-known Scottish stadium.
It was unlike anything Neville had ever encountered in his career, he said.
The Premier League stadium that he like to visit was also disclosed by the Sky Sports analyst.
According to former Manchester United captain Gary Neville, the best atmosphere he had experienced as a player was at a stadium that was once a Champions League opponent. During his career, the full-back had the good fortune to play at a number of amazing football stadiums, with Old Trafford serving as his home field and Anfield as the location where he was most hated.
Neville won the Champions League and had the opportunity to see some of Europe’s most famous stadia at their height.
Neville Claimed Ibrox Had Best Atmosphere
The ex-defender described Rangers’ stadium as ‘unbelievable’
Speaking during an episode of The Overlap, Neville revealed that Ibrox, the home of Scottish giants Rangers, had the best atmosphere he’d ever experienced as a player. He recounted what was going through his mind ahead of kick-off during his only visit in 2003, saying that the electric environment made it unforgettable. The Sky Sports pundit revealed:
“The best atmosphere I’ve ever seen in my life was Ibrox. As the game was about to kick off, I thought, “What the f**k is this? Honestly, for the first couple of minutes before the game and when the game started, I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. Noise. Honestly, Ibrox, it was unbelievable. Staggering.”
Gary Neville on Ibrox Park 🔈🔈 pic.twitter.com/YeiLNnDgyU
— Anniesland (@Anniesland9) February 7, 2024
Despite co-host Roy Keane’s remark that Celtic Park was better, Neville insisted that he was astounded by what he heard at Ibrox. On the 48-year-old’s only visit to the stadium, the game’s lone goal was actually scored by his brother, Phil. The team that returned to Ibrox and won by the same score in November 2010 thanks to a penalty kick from Wayne Rooney did not include Neville, even though he was the club captain.
Ironically, Lionel Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, agrees with Keane, citing Celtic Park as the most evocative venue he has ever played in.
Neville Names Villa Park As His Favourite Premier League Away Ground
The defender had no shortage of memories in the Midlands
When asked which Premier League stadium he preferred to attend, Neville responded in a Twitter Q&A session that he had most enjoyed visiting Villa Park, the home of Aston Villa under Unai Emery. Having opened in 1897, the 42,000-seat stadium is among the oldest in the English top division, which Neville said added to its allure:
“The Premier League has some fantastic new stadiums. Although this is a tried-and-true method, don’t alter it because it contains all the necessary components.
The former full-back had many happy memories of the Midlands, chief among them being the 1999 FA Cup semi-final, in which the stadium served as a neutral site for the Red Devils’ thrilling victory over Arsenal in extra time, which featured one of the greatest individual goals ever scored by Ryan Giggs and a penalty save by Peter Schmeichel.
The 50-year-old added that it held an even greater place in his heart because of the unique games he played there.
Neville said, “I absolutely love this place,” in 2020. “My favourite away ground when I think about the great FA Cup semi-finals and the great league games we had here.”
Neville made ten Premier League games at Villa Park in his career. The lone setback he ever suffered there occurred when United lost, and future triple winner Dwight Yorke scored.
The defender would go on to win six of his next nine games at the renowned stadium while maintaining seven clean sheets.
xz
