La Liga side Valencia CF has announced today that they will hire former Manchester United captain Gary Neville as manager until the end the season. He will officially take charge of the first team on Sunday December 6th ahead of the UEFA Champions League match against Lyon at the Mestalla Stadium on Wednesday December 9th by replacing former manager Nuno Espírito Santo, who resigned following the clubs loss to Sevilla on Sunday evening.
A Englishman abroad
With all the titles and experience he gained as a player during his entire career at club level Manchester United and for his native England, he is also a well-known pundit and commentator on Sky Sports following his retirement from the game, he holds UEFA A and B Coaching Licences, was appointed to the England national team coaching staff by newly appointed manager Roy Hodgson in 2012, in which he currently the first team coach of the Three Lions.
Valencia CF President Layhoon Chan spoke highly of the announcement saying that “We are delighted to have secured Gary so quickly: He combines top level coaching experience through his role as a senior coach with the England national team and a world-class playing career with England and Manchester United”.
He later continued the praised of the Englishman stating that ''Throughout his career Gary has always shown great leadership both on and off the pitch. He is hugely respected in English football and it was his personal qualities which persuaded us that he was the right choice to lead Valencia until the end of the season."
Tough task
He will joined alongside his brother Phil, as the assistant manager of the club and will be one of the handful of British managers to try it in Spain alongside the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, John Toshack, and the recently sacked David Moyes, when he was in charge of Real Sociedad last season. Valencia currenly sit eighth in La Liga currently and are ten points behind the final European spot, occupied by Villarreal.