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Phil Neville

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Bruce Wayne

Player Valuation: £100m
Four weeks into the season, a few early contenders for Footballer of the Year present themselves: Micah Richards, Gareth Barry, Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas, Nicolas Anelka, Craig Gordon, Shaun Wright-Phillips and, brace yourself, Phil Neville.

Stop laughing at the back. Everton's captain and eager-beaver defensive midfielder deserves respect. In a sport often bereft of nobility, Neville has proved a good ambassador for his trade, an assiduous performer on the field for David Moyes' impressive side and a man of compassion off it.

And yet, crazily, Neville ran into a chorus of disapproval from England fans when he entered the fray after 70 minutes at Wembley on Saturday. A debate can reasonably be conducted over whether the 30-year-old should still be in the squad, and few will forget his penalty-conceding tackle against Romania that consigned England to Euro 2000 oblivion, but at least Neville always turns up, despite knowing he is likely to receive more catcalls than caps.

He may be unfashionable but many of Neville's qualities should really be in vogue: industry, integrity and dignity. A quick rewind through the past month shows why, starting on Aug 14 at Tottenham Hotspur when Neville utterly dominated Jermaine Jenas in leading Everton to victory.

At the final whistle, the midfielder ran across to the jubilant hordes of away supporters. Neville removed his sweat-darkened shirt, leant across the hoardings and handed it gently to a wheelchair-bound Everton fan. A special souvenir for a special night.

Eight evenings later, further around the North Circular Road, Neville was the last of Steve McClaren's men off the pitch at Wembley. He had not even featured against Germany. He was simply undergoing a vigorous warm-down, sprinting hard as if preparing for the Olympics. Many unused subs slope off swiftly into the night, consoled by agent and family. Not Neville.

Determined to extend his playing days, this dedicated pro was stretching his muscles, ensuring he was ready when called upon next. Talk to McClaren about his players' professionalism and Neville's name quickly crops up. Despite operating in one of the more combative areas of the pitch, he rarely gets injured.

Neville has played a considerable part in Everton's resurgence, partly because of his absolute commitment, an example to all. Outstanding on his debut against Villarreal two years ago, Neville's performance provoked much comment within Goodison. If a Manchester United discard was comfortably Everton's best player, then the rest of the team really did have to raise their game to come close to the elite. They now have.

It encapsulates Neville's selflessness that he will play anywhere: left-back, right-back, anchorman. Such willingness and versatility have made him the proverbial jack of all trades and master of none. Maybe if Neville had been more selfish, insisting on sticking to one position, he might have achieved more, although a European Cup and a host of glittering club honours and memories is hardly a bad haul.

Someone who has worked with Neville described him yesterday as "perfection personified on and off the field''. Everton's captain clearly views the arm-band as more than a 90-minute responsibility. On match-days at Goodison, when the club require a friendly face to meet an unwell child or glad-hand a sponsor, they know Neville will always say yes.

On Aug 27, Everton's captain even led his team to the Croxteth street where poor Rhys Jones perished. "We come to pay our respects to a massive Evertonian,'' said Neville as he laid a blue-and-white floral tribute and a pair of his own boots amidst all the scarves, cards and messages.

A club with a soul and a sense of community, Everton handled all the match-day tributes to Rhys with typical class, yet it had been the players, marshalled by Neville and Alan Stubbs, another footballer with a conscience, who decided to travel to Croxteth. Rhys's parents, Melanie and Stephen, and his brother Owen have also been invited to Bellefield for a private meeting with Moyes, Neville, Stubbs and the rest of the squad.

Tact and humanity fill Neville. Many footballers would shrink from the responsibility of publicly voicing the dressing-room sorrow. One former England international never visited children's hospitals at Christmas because he could not handle the sight of the sick and frail. One Premier League captain infamously invoiced his club for presents the players handed out in a cancer ward one Christmas.

Neville is more in tune with his social responsibilities. When the Professional Footballers' Association launched their centenary appeal last season, raising funds for a hospital in Manchester, the consultants spoke warmly about Neville. He has long been a tireless supporter of children's charities.

So those considering booing Neville if he appears at Wembley tomorrow should think again. One of football's good guys deserves applause, not abuse.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/09/11/sfnwin111.xml
 

I agree, as a professional he is outstanding. He's not the most gifted player but he makes the very most of what he does and is a fine role model for the young players at our club. Certainly one of Moyes best signings.
 
Great ambassador for the team, I couldn't believe it when he got boo'd on saturday.
Well he just does'nt do what is required of a modern day footballer; ie.

- feign injury week in week out, but is somehow fit to play games at the weekend
- not having written an autobiography where he praises himself
- dressing like a pimp and acting like he is more than the man on the street
- willing to play in a number of different positions to benefit the team
- keep a low-profile personal life.

So you see it is quite simple why he was boo'd
 
Read that this morning and was going to post it up too.
Glad he gets recognition for what he puts in. Genuinely nice bloke, hard working, team player, goes the extra mile. Dead cert for a knighthood in his later years.
 
The guy is too classy to play on a team on with a bunch of prima donna's like England.

You'll never hear him say "If such and such makes XXX amount then its the team isn't showing me respect by paying me more." Like you hear every week from Lamp$, $errard and the 2nd best CB on Chelsea.

Next to Timmy and Arteta I think he's our most important player.

I wasn't too keen on the signing when we got him but I'm glad I was wrong. He's been quality, fills in whatever position he's needed and provides leadership. Rarely has a bad game, and can play in the middle and somehow never gets knacked.

Big Sam loves him and always said he never should have been kicked off the England team becasue of his versatility. I was kind of worried when I heard that Newcastle was making a bid for him, I shouldn't have been.
 
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wasn't too worried about the potential newcaslte bid. Not the kind of player to move for money - just first team football.

He's proven his loyalty at Man U and Everton.

Can only help the younger players coming through to have such an exemplary professional to learn from.

Wasn't over the moon when we signed him but he has definitely won me over.

Still prefer him at right back to midfield as he has a decent cross and distributes better than hibbert.
 
Lets start a we love Phil Nev thread,(y) to be fair playing good or bad he never shirks his duty and always gives 100%, a true honest pro footballer and no one knows his wifes name tf:D
 

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