He started training with the Manchester United Academy along with his brother. On 11 February 1995, with his brother injured, Neville made his debut in a 3–0 Manchester derby win away to Manchester City at Maine Road. On 19 August 1995, in the first game of the following season, he was substituted at half time in a 3–1 loss at Aston Villa; the match is remembered for pundit Alan Hansen's "You can't win anything with kids" comment on Manchester United, who went on to win the double. He did not play at left-back frequently due to the presence of Denis Irwin; for some time he played at right-back while his brother played in central defence, and in the 1996 FA Cup Final victory against Liverpool he played this position while Gary Neville sat on the bench.