Warrior Brown But Where’s Gary Neville?
Warrior Wes Brown has confirmed his love affair with United, as captain Gary Neville goes missing again.
“I have been here nine years now and I would do anything for the club,” he said. “It is good to know how highly I am valued by the manager. It is certainly hard to imagine ever playing for anyone else. Hopefully that won’t happen. I am happy here and, hopefully, I can stay.”
Brown will be out of contract next summer. United have indicated that the 27-year-old will be offered another deal.
Brown may have encouraged United to act more quickly by his performance against Sporting Lisbon in midweek. He has been praised for the perfect cross which Ronaldo converted, allowing United to claim three points and only their third Euro away victory in 15 matches.
United may have more reasons to tie up a new deal with the England star after Gary Neville’s failure to make the squad for today’s match against Chelsea. The manager claimed he may need another seven to 10 days to gain the required fitness even though the club captain is back in training.
Neville has suffered ankle, calf and thigh injuries since hobbling out of United’s game against Bolton last March. Yet earlier this month, the skipper was sounding confident of returning for the Chelsea match.
Neville told MUTV: “I hope to be playing games in the next couple of weeks. It has been frustrating but I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I just need to get fit.
“Because I’ve been out for such a long time I think the Everton game, on 15 September, is going to be too soon, I think it will probably be after that.
“When I originally suffered the injury I thought I’d be out for six to eight weeks. But I had a problem with a loose bit of bone and that is why I had to have the operation to get rid of it, which was another three months.
“Then this thigh injury just made it a few extra weeks longer so it’s the longest injury I’ve ever had.”
Indeed. United are thick with young, eager defenders, not to mention Wes Brown and England are rising to applaud new tyro Micah Richards. Neville has every reason to get back in contention soon to face the fight of his life for both club and country.
