Shades of Roy Keane on Alf-Inge Haaland.
Phil Neville was a very lucky man to be able to walk away from a challenge which the commentator claimed was “the worst tackle I’ve ever seen on a football field.”
Neville joined the likes of Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Paul Merson in the squad for England’s first game at the Star Sixes tournament, the international six-a-side competition which sees former professionals take to the pitch again.
England’s opening game came against Spain on Thursday and they were handily beaten by a scoreline of 4-1.
Owen scored the first of the match but the Spanish side fired home four unanswered goals to claim the result.
However one of the biggest talking points of the game was not a goal, but a tackle via former Spain and Barcelona defender Carles Puyol on Neville.
https://twitter.com/aylg1987/status/885590753963102208
In a challenge reminiscent of Roy Keane’s vengeful career-ender on Alf-Inge Haaland in 2001, Puyol went over the ball and slammed his studs down on Neville’s knee, leaving the former Manchester United and Everton man writhing in agony.
Neville was lucky to escape serious injury but was astonished that the referee failed to even award him a free kick for the horror tackle.
https://twitter.com/fizzer18/status/885610859493548033
Everyone appreciates a bit of intensity on the pitch but there’s no place for behaviour like the above from Puyol.
