29 April 2023 , 08:00
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Gary Neville and David Beckham have always shared a strong friendship.
The pair came up the ranks together at Manchester United as part of the fabled Class of '92 and represented the England national team at the same time. Such was their bond that when Beckham tied the knot with Victoria in 1999, he called upon the right-back to be the best man at his lavish wedding, with Neville apparently wearing a sarong while delivering a funny and memorable speech.
But their relationship wasn't entirely plane sailing, and Neville previously recalled that the pair found rooming together to be a struggle whenever Man United were on the road.
The reason for this was Neville was regimented with a strict routine while Beckham was a little more laid back.
"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," Neville previously told Sky Sports.
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"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).
"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."
David Beckham and Gary Neville roomed together at Manchester United (EMPICS Sports Photo Agency)It wasn't just the alarms going off at different times that caused problems between the teammates but the way in which they organised their rooms, with Beckham on this occasion being more regimented.
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.
"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."
The rooming disagreements had little impact on the pair's relationship but Neville's insight into his personal habits shed light on the kind of man he was during his playing days.
Neville is often remembered for his determination, which helped him reach the very top of the game.
The defender may not have had the natural ability of some of the Class of '92, but his professionalism to commit to his early morning routine separated him from the competition at Man United.
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