Man Utd legend Gary Neville names best atmosphere he played in that made him think 'what the f*** is this?'

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has named the best atmosphere he ever played in left him asking, "What the f**k is this?".

Neville played over 602 times for United across 18 seasons and played in some of the biggest, most intense games in history.

He always got a lively reception at Anfield whenever United travelled to play Liverpool but there was one atmosphere which stands out for the former England international when he reflects on his career.

Celtic Park and Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen Stadium - which had the 'Welcome to Hell' message attached to it, both received recognition.

But Neville cannot look past Ibrox Stadium, home of Rangers, as the noisiest ground he's ever played at.

Neville recalled a cauldron-like atmosphere in a 1-0 win over the Scottish giants, with brother Phil grabbing the only goal of the game.

Image: Getty

He was ran ragged by Peter Lovenkrands, who Neville did not enjoy playing against because of his sheer pace.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Neville said: “We got beat against Celtic – [Shunsuke Nakamura] scored. We absolutely killed them in the first half, and we just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.

“The best atmosphere I’ve ever seen in my life was [at] Ibrox as the game was about to [end], I thought, ‘What the f**k is this?’ Celtic was loud, and Galatasaray. Phil [Neville] scored early on [but] honestly, for the first couple of minutes before the game and when the game started, I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. [The] noise [at] Ibrox – honestly it was unbelievable. Staggering!

“Phil scored the winner – I had a bad game that night. I was playing against Peter Lovenkrands who is quick. Oh my God he was quick, and they just kept putting it over my head.

“I think Galatasaray was something special, but Ibrox for noise. Galatasaray’s stadium – Ali Sami Yen Stadium – was open, it was a bowl, so they didn’t have a roof whereas obviously Ibrox has the roof around it. For nastiness and hostility, Galatasaray – that was unbelievable.”

Image: Getty

United played away at Rangers in 2010 in Neville's final season but he was not in the squad and retired in February 2011 after just four appearances.

Topics: Manchester United, Champions League

Josh Lawless

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