Gary Neville claims seeing Liverpool players at a nightclub ‘until 4am a day after their match against Arsenal’.

Gary Neville, the consummate professional, acknowledged that Liverpool’s fondness for nightclubs during the 1990s had a detrimental impact on their title aspirations when facing his Manchester United teammates.

Gary Neville disclosed that during his playing days, he often observed Liverpool players exiting nightclubs as late as 4 am.

In a recent episode of the Stick to Football podcast, the former Manchester United captain reminisced about the early stages of his career at Old Trafford and compared the squads of both United and Liverpool from the 1990s.

Neville, aged 48, noted that the senior players at Liverpool during that period were known for their heavy drinking habits and highlighted the remarkable talent among the young players in their ranks.

“What we encountered at Manchester United during that time, around 1992/93, was a Liverpool team with a talented pool of players.

I don’t deny that some of them, like Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Redknapp, and a few others, were as gifted as our squad,” Neville commented.

“The senior players at Liverpool were known for their heavy drinking habits. Despite Liverpool having a talented group, there was a season, in 1995/96, where they were challenging us for the title. However, I believed that our senior players were more disciplined and possessed greater talent.”

Neville emphasized the professionalism of his teammates and implied that Liverpool players’ indulgence in nightclubs contributed to their lack of success during that era.

“I didn’t witness an excessive amount of drinking among us that compromised our performance in games, but I do recall seeing Liverpool players at Cheerleaders, a nightclub,” he remarked.

“On Wednesday nights, I went there a couple of times, and I remember seeing the Liverpool players in one corner. While the United players typically left around 1 am, the Liverpool players stayed until 4 am or 5 am on a Wednesday.”

Following Marcus Rashford’s controversial 12-hour bender incident last month, Neville emphasized the significance of a robust dressing room with strong leadership figures. He also raised doubts about the presence of leaders at Old Trafford.

“The dressing room environment that young players encounter and the influence of key figures within it are crucial factors,” he elaborated. “For the Manchester United players who have emerged in the last five to eight years, if you’re a young talent at Liverpool or Manchester City, you’re likely to have good role models.

However, for those at United currently, the question arises: who is providing guidance in that dressing room?”