Why Gary Neville didn't get the England job despite being Dan Ashworth's 'perfect' candidate

Gary Neville has revealed that he nearly became the England manager after discussions with Football Association officials, who viewed him as the ideal successor for Roy Hodgson.

After his retirement as a player, Neville had ambitions of becoming a coach, working alongside Hodgson with England from 2012 to 2016. This included two European Championships and the 2014 World Cup, gaining valuable coaching experience across these tournaments. In December 2015, Neville ventured into his first formal managerial role when he was hired by Peter Lim as the gaffer at Valencia. Unfortunately, his Spanish stint didn't quite go to plan, lasting only 28 games before being sacked on the back of poor performances.

According to Neville, despite his rocky time in Spain ending in dismissal, it played an essential part in what could have been the future career path. He revealed the FA's director of elite development, Dan Ashworth, had far-reaching plans around his potential ascension to the top job post-Hodgson.

"I've never said this publicly, but I remember getting the Valencia job in December, and Dan Ashworth rang me and said this was the perfect move for me to be on that next step for when Roy Hodgson decided he wanted to leave the England job, for me to take over," Neville shared on the Stick to Football podcast.

Presently a well-respected pundit with Sky Sports, had things panned out differently; Neville might have gone down an entirely different path. Neville reflected on his managerial stint, admitting, "I always remember that phone call and him saying this was the perfect opportunity, but I look back now, and it was right that I failed in the job because I didn't put the work in. With how my work ethic is now, I needed to fail to