Neville says Van Nistelrooy was ‘the only player to try and punch me’ as Man Utd legends finally agree after bust-up
GARY NEVILLE and Ruud van Nistelrooy have revealed how they almost came to blows after the Dutchman tried “to punch” his ex team-mate.
Sky Sports pundit Neville played alongside the former forward under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and won countless honours together.
However, the pair had to be separated by the rest of the squad after an on-field row in an away game at Middlesbrough spilled over into the dressing-room.
The pair explained exactly what happened as Neville interviewed the now PSV manager on his latest episode of The Overlap.
And Van Nistelrooy even admitted that now he realises he was in the wrong.
Here’s how the recollection went:
Neville: “Do you remember Middlesbrough away? You’re the only player that’s come to punch me at the end of the game.”
Van Nistelrooy: “Yeah, I do. You gave me a right b*****ing and rightly so.”
Neville: “You think I was right?”
Van Nistelrooy: “Yeah, you were right. I didn’t do a lot in that game. That’s what you were going on about.”
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Neville: “I had the ball at right-back…”
Van Nistelrooy: “And I didn’t show.”
Neville: “[Gesturing], I needed that little movement…”
Van Nistelrooy: “And I didn’t because I had an inflamed big toe. Honestly, it was so red and swollen. I was on flip flops travelling to Middlesbrough and I got into my boot before the game, I couldn’t move.”
Neville: “I feel sorry for you now.”
Van Nistelrooy: “You were right, when you play you’ve got to show.”
Neville: “I put it in and went, ‘F****** move!’ I remember shouting and you went, ‘F*** off.’”
Van Nistelrooy: “I just snapped, I completely lost it. I was then storming in the dressing room and just came up to you.”
Neville: “I remember I got substituted, I don’t remember if the manager got angry at me, but I went into the changing room and all of a sudden I heard you shouting coming through the door and you were like, ‘I’m going to…’ and I thought, ‘Oh, Ruud’s snapped!’ Everyone jumped in between us.”
Van Nistelrooy: “My boots were also half a size too small, to really hit it well… What am I going to say? ‘Gaffer, I cannot play, my toe is sore!’”
The pair played alongside one another for four years at the Red Devils between 2001-05 and won the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup as team-mates.
The Dutch ace, who scored 95 times for United in 150 Premier League appearances, also hilariously revealed how Roy Keane forced him into cutting his hair during their playing days together.