Phil Neville set to go into coaching when he hangs up his boots

Everton captain Phil Neville is set to go into coaching when his playing career is over

Everton midfielder and captain Phil Neville has revealed that he would like to go into coaching and management when he hangs up his boots, just like big brother Gary.

This won’t really come as a surprise to anybody that knows anything about the veteran ace.

Love

Neville told the Daily Telegraph: “The bottom line is, I want to be a coach. I want to be a manager,”

“That’s my love. I spent three days with the England Under 21s over the summer and it was the best three days I’ve had in football. It inspired me. It made my mind up: I want to become a manager, definitely.

“I’m not going to make the mistake of thinking I can become a manager without having done everything possible beforehand to learn, study and get my badges.”

Leader

Neville has been a leader on the pitch for a long time and as soon as he arrived at Everton David Moyes gave him the captaincy. It was a wise choice, as he has been a really good example for every player at Everton of a good solid professional.

Criticism

Neville the player has often been criticised at Everton for his limited abilities, but there are very few people at Goodison that would ever question his commitment or attitude on then pitch.

He may not be the most skilful player but he gives his all and is a fantastic example to younger players of how a professional footballer should behave, both on and off the pitch.

Examples

He has played for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United for a long time and under David Moyes at Everton for seven years. Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the best managers the game has ever seen and David Moyes is one of the most highly-rated bosses in the British top flight.

The pair are two great examples for Phil Neville to look at. Apparently Neville has also asked Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho for advice on coaching matters, another boss of some repute apparently!

Started

Neville has already started getting coaching qualifications and holds a UEFA B License. Neville has also been involved with the England under-21 setup. Everton have encouraged their captain’s ambitions, as it seems to be Neville’s career path after his playing days are over and it could also benefit the club in the long run.

As he told the Telegraph Phil Neville doesn’t strike me as the sort of guy that would cut corners. I’m sure he will be very willing to learn from some of the best in the game and this education will only help him in his future endeavours.

Winner

People may criticise Neville for his footballing abilities, but he has always been a winner, whether that was at Manchester United or more recently at Everton. If things are going badly at Everton Phil Neville is usually one of the first to hold his hands up and accept responsibility.

He is also one of the players that try to get the team going on the field. Neville is David Moyes’ general on the pitch, whether he’s playing at full-back or in midfield he is usually one of the most vocal players in the Everton team.

Future

Neville’s contract with Everton expires at the end of the current season. It’s unknown whether he will carry on playing at Everton or elsewhere. If he does stop playing football this summer I’m sure David Moyes will make room for Neville on the Everton coaching staff.

Moyes is very loyal to the players that have been loyal to him with former-players David Weir and Alan Stubbs now on the backroom staff at Everton. Neville may decide to move on and extend his playing career.

However, Phil Neville seems to have taken Everton to his heart and it really wouldn’t surprise me if somewhere down the line he returned to Goodison Park as Everton boss, even possibly as David Moyes successor.

Would Phil Neville make a good future manager?