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Gary Neville named as new Valencia coach

Xinhua, December 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Valencia named Gary Neville as the new first team coach on Wednesday.

The shock announcement was confirmed by the club website less than three days after former coach Nuno Espiritu Santo had resigned following a disappointing start to the season.

Neville has agreed a contract to keep him at the club until the end of June 2016 and he will have his brother Philip, who joined Valencia last summer, as his assistant.

The former Manchester United defender, who spent all of his playing career at the same club, has been working as a respected TV pundit and as the assistant to England coach, Roy Hodgson.

He will continue to work in the England role: something Hodgson valued positively on Wednesday, saying Neville's role in Spain would "be an extra string to his bow and the experience he will gain working in the Spanish league can only be beneficial to our work together with the England team."

Meanwhile Valencia president, Lay Hoon Chan, commented: "We are delighted to be able to have Gary so quickly. He is a person who combined technical experience, as part of the England set up and also a brilliant career with Manchester United and England.

"Gary has always shown his leadership both on and off the field, he is hugely respected in English football and this and other qualities have convinced us that he is the correct choice to lead the team until the end of the season."

Despite Valencia playing in the Kings Cup away to Barrakaldo on Wednesday night and entertaining FC Barcelona on Saturday, Neville will not make his debut until next week when his side have a must-win Champions League tie at home to Olympique Lyon.

"I am absolutely thrilled to be given this opportunity with Valencia. They 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," he said on the club website. Endi