Gary Neville’s Peculiar Pre-Match Superstitions Unveiled: The White Underpants Ritual

In a revealing insight into his pre-match routines, Manchester United icon Gary Neville has disclosed some of his eccentric superstitions during his illustrious playing career.

Renowned for his dedication and meticulous preparation on the pitch, Neville confessed to a peculiar habit that involved donning the same colored underpants before every Manchester United game. 

The former defender, who retired in 2011 after a glittering career laden with trophies, including eight Premier League titles and two Champions League triumphs, admitted to being inspired by a series of quirky rituals shared by players past and present.

In an interview on Geoff Shreeves’ latest podcast, Neville delved into the details of his rituals, revealing that he exclusively wore white underpants before matches, alongside other consistent habits like using the same tubigrip and tape. 

Even his pre-game routine, including visiting the same toilet in the players’ lounge and occupying the same seat as the team coach next to fellow legend David Beckham, remained unchanged throughout his career.

“I used to wear the same colored underpants every game during my career,” he said, featuring on the first edition of the Football, Music and Me show.

Asked being quizzed by Shreeves on the color, Neville replied: “White. It’s something I did. Same tubigrip, same tape. The physios knew it.” 

“I used to put the same pants on, go to the same toilet to read the programme, even though sometimes I didn’t need the toilet, in the players’ lounge before every game.”

‘Same seat on the coach, next to Becks [David Beckham]. I never shifted.’

Amidst light-hearted banter with Jim Ryan, a former coach at Manchester United, Neville reflected on how his superstitions were sometimes the subject of jest within the club. 

Ryan once humorously remarked that the success of the team seemed to hinge on the color of Neville’s underpants, highlighting the comical side of the player’s routines.

Neville’s dedication to his rituals extended beyond attire, as he revealed additional quirks such as sprinting off the training pitch in a zigzag manner every Friday and insisting on specific massages for his lower back, despite not experiencing any issues in that area. 

‘Jim Ryan once said to me, “It’s really interesting that the whole success of Manchester United depends on the colour of your underpants.”

‘He would take the p*** out of me. He’s actually got a point! 

‘And then he said, “On an individual level, all those hours that you’ve worked all your life, thousands, hundreds of thousands, all that practice that you’ve put in and you’re putting a little bit of importance on the colour of your underpants.”‘

Previously, Neville revealed his pre-match routine would also see him leave the training pitch in a certain way and have specific massages on his back.

‘Even on the day before a game, coming off the training pitch on the day before the game, I used to zigzag sprint off the pitch,’ he told UTD Unscripted. ‘Every Friday.

‘At 17, I just knew I had to have a massage on my lower back. I didn’t even have a bad back. The physio, Jim McGregor, hated it.’

These idiosyncrasies, while seemingly trivial, underscored Neville’s unwavering commitment to his pre-match preparations and rituals.

Despite the jest and lightheartedness surrounding his superstitions, Neville’s legacy at Manchester United remains untarnished, with his contributions on the field immortalized in the club’s history.