Alan Smith in The Telegraph:
'Love him or loathe him, you've got to admire Gary Neville. Manchester United's right-back just keeps coming back for more. Whether it's diving into tackles, bombing up the wing, speaking his mind or indulging in spats with aggrieved opponents, he takes on the challenge with undying relish.
He is the ebullient type you love to have in your side, always ready for a battle, always up for the fight; the type who never lies down when the going gets tough, and who represents his club with a real sense of duty and pride.
Conversely, he can be intensely annoying to the casual observer, a lippy competitor who never seems to shut up. To those on the other side of the fence, who take exception to his feisty ways, he fits the bill perfectly as Public Enemy Number One.
Neville was at it again yesterday during the Manchester derby, revelling in the role of anti-hero as he indulged in a heated argument with City's Robbie Fowler, managing along the way to wind up Kevin Keegan.
Neville even managed to anger Nike the other day by suggesting that the sports firm were using the anti-racism campaign to further their own ends. For all his peccadillos on the pitch, not many players speak so intelligently off it. He is always worth listening to, full of thoughtful opinions that usually hit the spot.
And there are not many about with his level of desire and determination. In his book, Jaap Stam might have famously referred to his team-mate as "busy" but it was also meant as a genuine compliment.
Neville's dedicated attitude, after all, has kept him in United's first team for 11 years now as well as earning him 74 England caps. He must be doing something right. Even if many people outside Old Trafford find that fact hard to accept.'