After completing all of his coaching badges, he took his first step as a manager when appointed by owner Peter Lim to take charge of Valencia in December 2015. Despite the ill-fated time at Valencia, it became a pivotal moment for Neville. He revealed that the FA’s director of elite development, Dan Ashworth, had already been planning the next step after Hodgson. Ultimately, Neville turned his back on management after the Valencia fiasco and has no regrets.

Neville explained that he had obtained his coaching qualifications and was fully qualified to sit on the bench for any team in Europe. He initially believed that obtaining coaching badges would help with his punditry, but ultimately, he didn’t want to pursue a managerial role as he was enjoying the media side. The experience at Valencia taught him valuable lessons about learning to say no and the consequences of saying yes to opportunities that came his way. He reflected on his decision to accept the offer from Peter at Valencia, stating that it was purely to do him a favor.

Despite the challenges he faced, Neville does not regret his decision.