Gary Neville was never the most gifted full-back of his time, and he would probably be the first to say so. What he had was work rate, discipline and a manager who trusted him. Sir Alex Ferguson kept him in the side for nearly 20 years, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Neville spent his entire career at Manchester United and made over 600 appearances at Old Trafford. As the first-choice right-back he collected 8 Premier League titles and 2 Champions League trophies. For England he was the starting right-back for more than a decade and earned 85 caps.
Beckham's partner on the right
A good part of his reputation was built alongside David Beckham. Neville overlapped, Beckham crossed, and for years the right side of United's team was one of the most productive in the league. He was named in the Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year five times, which is the kind of record only consistency earns.
He was not flashy. He was hard-working, professional and loyal to one club from start to finish, and that set a standard for full-backs in England that still gets quoted. The one-club man opens our countdown at 30.
Tomorrow: number 29.
