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Former Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor stated that he found playing against eight-time Premier League winner Gary Neville relatively easy. Agbonlahor, who made his debut for Villa in 2005, believes he consistently outperformed the former Manchester United defender in their encounters.
Previously, Neville also acknowledged that Agbonlahor got the better of him on occasions. Although Neville was over 30 when Agbonlahor made his debut, a factor the former Villa winger noted, he felt no special skillset was needed to get past his opponent on the flanks.
In an interview with the Mirror via AceOdds, the 37-year-old remarked:
“I’ve said it before a bit tongue-in-cheek because he was at the latter stages of his career. I didn’t play against the prime Gary Neville, so I have to be fair in that. When I played against him, he was probably mid-thirties, I can imagine."
“It was quite easy playing against him because I had him for strength. I could hold the ball up turn and just knock it past him. No skill was needed. The pace was obviously me being in my early twenties. Yeah, it was quite easy, but I could imagine any defender that’s similar to Gary Neville’s attributes in their mid-thirties, I would have skinned," Agbanlahor said.
The rivalry between the two pundits is certainly not new, with the pair having clashed off the field as well. However, Agbanlahor was quick to praise the Manchester United legend and expressed that he had a spectacular career.
"I have to be fair on that. His age was a factor, but obviously, he had a fantastic career," he added.
Agbonlahor made his mark in the 2006-07 season under Martin O’Neill, where he featured in all 38 Premier League games and scored nine goals. Over the years, he was a key player for Aston Villa, making 391 appearances and scoring 86 goals during his 13-year tenure.
Neville, on the other hand, needs no introduction. He is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs the Premier League has ever seen and won over 15 trophies during his 19-year career at Manchester United before retiring in 2011.
Gabriel Agbanlahor makes a bold prediction about Erik ten Hag and Manchester United
Agbonlahor has given his verdict on which manager will be the first to be sacked and believes that Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag will be the one to go first.
Ten Hag faced significant pressure last season, with the Red Devils finishing eighth in the Premier League. Despite winning the FA Cup, which briefly masked the issues, there were substantial concerns about United’s performances under the Dutchman.
Agbonlahor argues that despite several new arrivals strengthening the squad, Manchester United have not improved. He also believes that injuries could pose major challenges for the ten Hag again.
“If we’re talking about being sacked, I’m going to say Ten Hag. “I look at the three teams that will come up and I think their managers will get time because it’s going to be so tough for them unless they’re losing 10 in every game. I just don’t look at this Manchester United team any better than last season. Especially with Yoro injured. Especially with Hojlund out for a period of time as well," Agbanlahor said. (via football365).
