Gary Neville’s first important task at Valencia will be to learn Spanish, according to a former club legend.
Gaizka Mendieta, who captained the club to back-to-back Champions League finals, thinks the new boss needs to learn the language to get the Mestalla faithful on side as quickly as possible.
Neville admitted that he is keen to make it a priority, after being impressed by how quickly brother and assistant Phil has been able to make his mark on the squad.
“I don’t speak the language but have to immerse myself and I will take lessons every day,” Neville said at his first press conference in charge of the La Liga club.
And Mendieta, who lives in England after spending several years in the Premier League with Middlesbrough, revealed that the language barrier can be difficult for those moving in the opposite direction.
“Valencia fans like to be taken into consideration. It’s not just the football but his relationship with the fans,” Mendieta said on podcast The Little Big Interview with Graham Hunter.
“I’ve seen big managers being frustrated because they can’t speak the language and basically communicate with the words they want to get in your mind.”
Luckily JOE has put together this list of phrases Neville might need at Valencia.
