Matthew Hayden was my hero, says footballer Phil Neville

Former England and Manchester United football player Phil Neville has said that choosing between cricket and football was the hardest decision for him. As a youngster, Neville played for Lancashire’s second XI and was the England Under-15 captain.   Speaking about his days spent playing cricket, Neville said, “It was amazing. We played a Test match....

Former England and Manchester United football player Phil Neville has said that choosing between cricket and football was the hardest decision for him. As a youngster, Neville played for Lancashire’s second XI and was the England Under-15 captain.

Speaking about his days spent playing cricket, Neville said, “It was amazing. We played a Test match. We played a Test series against Barbados and we were away from home for four weeks. It was the best four weeks of my life. The social side of it was amazing. I played the first and third Test. I had to miss the second as I had to go for football trials.”

Neville also spoke about how he was inspired by Matthew Hayden‘s fearlessness. “My hero was actually Matthew Hayden. I opened the batting with him in Greenmount. He was just sensational. Mark Taylor also taught me about cricket. Hayden was fearless, he just went out there and smashed everything.”

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