Gary Neville Quotes

The World Cup is the World Cup, and I'm sad I won't play in it; that's my only regret. But to play a friendly with my national team, I did it many times, so it's not something I'm missing.

At Leeds I've tried to concentrate on my club form, but you get caught up in all the World Cup fever once you come back to Ireland and see all the Irish boys again.

The problem with me is I always think I should've done better. I felt that after the World Cup final and through my whole career.

In the World Cup finals, you're unlikely to meet a continental rival. In Copa America, you know they are just around the corner and that you will have to beat them to win the competition.

It doesn't get much bigger than England v. Germany at Wembley.

I think I have had my story with France. Unfortunately, it's not the story I would have liked. I would have liked to have played a World Cup; I would have liked to have done a lot more for the French national team.

When people ask me what club I supported growing up, I didn't really watch club soccer. The only channels I got had World Cups and the Copa America, so I gravitated toward the Latin American, South American style of game.

As for me not playing for England, I've got no regret at all.

You know how much money I could have made playing professional football as a tight end? But I can't jump, and I can't run fast. That was my problem.

I've been playing for England at every single youth team level, so it's like a natural progression into the seniors, and I'm obviously delighted with my progress.

Not many players played in a World Cup and Champions League final.

I've played in Serie A, the Bundesliga, Holland and now the Premier League. They are all different.

I felt I had a good chance of playing for England for exactly 67 days - the length of time Sam Allardyce was manager of the Three Lions in 2016.

Now in the U.S.A., a lot of great players come after their careers in Europe, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, great players.

My first World Cup appearance remains fresh in my memory and what made it incredible was that I had made my first appearance for Nigeria just a year before.

I have been playing professionally since I was 18 at right-back. To get to your first World Cup and probably not playing in your preferred position, where you want to showcase your talent, is not disappointing, but it is like, 'OK, it is a little bit of a step back.'

At 36 years old I can look back on a long and wonderful time in professional football, which I could never have dreamed of as a child.

I think playing international football burns players out, but I was in and out of the England squad so never felt that.

When David De Gea first came to the Premier League, he was a small boy.

NFL Europe helped me quite a bit. It was a situation where I came out of college and spent the first few months of my career over in Europe.

I know many people said I couldn't go to China because it would be a step backwards in football terms, but I think anyone would at least consider such an offer.

I enjoyed my time in the Premier League and in Qatar.

I shouldn't have retired from England. I needed to respect the shirt.

I think England is one of the biggest soccer leagues in the world - fantastic! Just like Spain's LaLiga also, with big players, big teams.

It should be the pinnacle of any players' career to get to a World Cup Finals with their country.