Gary Neville has admitted he felt sick when he feared he was being replaced by Sir Alex Ferguson just two years into his Manchester United career.
The former defender of course made his breakthrough at Old Trafford as part of the class of 92, although he would only make a handful of appearances in his first couple of seasons as a professional.
Nevertheless, Neville was seen as just one of the exciting crop of young players who could become regulars for United.
During the summer of 1994 though, Ferguson signed Blackburn Rovers full-back David May, who provided a more experienced option then Neville at the time, having played for six years at Ewood Park.
“There was a moment when we signed a player at Manchester United, it was the only time it ever happened, when we signed David May from Blackburn, and he was seen as a right-back/centre-back,” Neville said in a video for Sky Sports.
“I thought ‘oh, that’s because the manager doesn’t fancy me’. I felt a little bit sick in my stomach thinking I was going to be replaced.”
May found himself filling in at right-back as the regular first-choice Paul Parker struggled with injuries.
Neville though would soon earn his place in the side, and went on to make more starts than May during the 1994/95 season, before establishing himself as the new first-choice full-back.
Neville of course helped United dominate the Premier League over his career, but the arrival of another defender later in his career spelled the end for him.
“It was Rafael coming through, that was probably the only time that the manager signed a full-back where I thought that was a direct challenge.
“But he was obviously a young player, I’d seen him coming through. Actually watching them in training towards the end made me think ‘I’m way off this, I’m absolutely miles away’.
“It was either Wes Brown or John O’Shea, but I felt like we were part of a squad, so when Wes took my position when I got injured in 2008 and had an unbelievable season, he was brilliant at right-back that season, I actually don’t think I could have played as well as Wes did that season.
“By then, I was established, I was 32, I was comfortable, I didn’t really feel threatened by anyone. I wanted us to be really good and continue winning, but it was Rafael towards the end.”
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