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Spanish La Liga club Valencia CF have officially appointed Gary Neville as the new head coach until the end of the 2015/16 season. The club made the announcement in a statement on their official website. Neville will be unveiled as the new coach at a press conference on Thursday.
Although Valencia play their next game against Barcelona at the Mestalla Stadium on Saturday, 5 December, Neville will only take charge of the first team the next day. His first match will be a UEFA Champions League game against Ligue 1 club Lyon on Wednesday, 9 December, also at Mestalla. Valencia have a chance of qualifying for the Round of 16 in second place if they beat Lyon and Zenit beat Gent.
Since his retirement in 2011, Neville has been seen in various roles. He works as a football pundit for Sky Sports and is also a coach in the England football team’s staff under Roy Hodgson. The former Manchester United captain is also a co-owner of Salford City – a non-League club in Manchester.
Former Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo had stepped down from his post after the Portuguese manager decided he was no longer the man for the job. Santo had said he wanted what was “best for the club” and thanked club owner Peter Lim, the players and also the fans, urging them to support the youngest squad in the league.
Coincidentally, Lim, a Singaporean businessman, also has a stake in Salford City. Gary Neville now takes over Valencia with his brother Phil Neville currently helping assistant coach Salvador Gonzalez who is the current interim boss.
Both Valencia and Neville thrilled with appointment
Club president Layhoon Chan was very happy with the appointment and said: “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.”
“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.”
This will be Neville’s first role as a manager and he was excited with the prospect of managing a club of Valencia’s stature and was looking forward to working with the squad.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be given this opportunity with Valencia,” Neville said. “Valencia are a huge football club of immense standing and I know from my time as a player the passion and dedication of the Valencia fans.
“I am really looking forward to working with the club’s talented group of players and am excited about the challenge ahead.”
Neville will continue to be the coach of the England national team.
Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher even took to Twitter to take a dig at his colleague on Monday Night Football.
