Gary Neville names Premier League's two most underrated players including a Man United signing

Gary Neville came up against plenty of top-class opponents during his long spell at Manchester United.

But now he has revealed the players who he thinks were the most underrated - including one who ended up joining him at Old Trafford. The former United right-back was quizzed on the topic in the first Monday Night Football of the season, along with fellow defender-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher.

Neville first spoke about ex-Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, saying: "A player that played at a top Premier League club and didn't get the plaudits of others was Michael Essien at Chelsea in those first two or three years.

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"The impact he had on that team, from his running ability, the energy from midfield, balancing of Frank [Lampard], I thought Essien was a brilliant player."

He then moved on to praise French forward Louis Saha, who caused Neville no end of problems whilst at Fulham before eventually becoming his teammate when Sir Alex Ferguson signed him in 2004. He added: "I think the one that I played against, who then ended up playing at United, of course, was Louis Saha when he played for Fulham.

"He destroyed me at centre-back twice. Once when he was in the Championship in an FA Cup game, and next time in the Premier League."

Saha spent four years at United, winning two Premier League titles, the Champions League and a League Cup.

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