The lack of chemistry between David Beckham and Gary Neville revealed itself when they roomed together
Gary Neville and David Beckham weren’t a good match when it came to being roommates(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Gary Neville has previously spoken of his disdain for sharing a room with David Beckham, citing their fundamental incompatibility.
Despite their undeniable partnership on the right flank for Manchester United over 11 years, that same harmony was conspicuously absent whenever the two shared a hotel room. Having come through the club’s academy together, United would pair players up in twin rooms during away trips.
Neville, 50, conceded that although they only roomed together for six months, there were two particular reasons why he found it difficult to share a space with his long-standing team-mate and friend of more than 30 years.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the pundit said: “I roomed with David Beckham for about six months and then the whole rooming with players completely stopped because everybody went into their own individual rooms.
“I think they worked out that players weren’t compatible with each other and that each went to bed at different times. I had two big problems with Becks (well, he had with me!).
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“I used to go to bed at 9pm and wake up at 5am, he would stay up until 11pm and want to wake up at 8am, so essentially he was keeping me up from 9 until 11 and then I was getting him up at 5 in the morning, so it just wasn’t working at all.”
It wasn’t solely their sleeping habits that clashed, with Neville conceding that his untidy nature was the polar opposite of Beckham’s perfectionist tendencies. Neville added: “Secondly, he is the cleanest person.
“He gets into his room, he lights candles, he puts pictures up – everything has to be absolutely perfect, it’s been the same since he was 18. I just throw everything everywhere, so it just did not work at all.
David Beckham and Gary Neville roomed together in their early years at Manchester United(Image: Clive Mason /Allsport)
“I’m always talking, always arguing and he was the complete opposite of that. He would listen to music, he would want peace, he would want to be chilled and it’s just the complete opposite end of the spectrum of where I was at.”
Their off-pitch differences certainly did nothing to hinder United’s supremacy throughout the 90s, with the pair claiming six Premier League titles together, including their legendary Treble triumph in 1999.
Having forged a close friendship during their formative years at United, Neville went on to serve as Beckham’s best man at his marriage to Victoria Beckham.
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