Phil Neville could've been England's Sachin Tendulkar if he had rejected Manchester United: Andrew Flintoff

There are many athletes who are inclined to play a particular sport but soon switch to some other sport. For instance, Brendon McCullum used to play Rugby but he chose cricket and went on to become one of the most celebrated players of the sport during his generation.

Recently, during an interview, former England player Andrew Flintoff revealed that former English footballer Phil Neville was a very good cricketer. Flintoff revealed that he played with Neville at the junior level at the Lancashire club. Freddie called him a cricketing genius.

‘Phil Neville was a cricketing genius’: Andrew Flintoff

“I played junior cricket at Lancashire with Phil Neville. He was a year older than me and he was a cricketing genius,” Flintoff said in an interview with Talksport. Flintoff went on say that had Neville chosen to continue playing cricket instead of football, then he would have gone on to be England’s Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar.

The former English all-rounder then talked about Neville’s all-round skills. He said the footballer would score a hundred every time he came to bat and he could bowl everyone out.

“If that lad would have carried on playing cricket he could have been England’s Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar, he was that good. He used to turn up, open the batting and score 100 every time and after that, he’d bowl everyone out,” he added.

Flintoff also further stated that Neville was a fast bowler and the Lancashire club offered him a contract. The star all-rounder said that the contract had a deal of 2 and half thousand pounds but Neville chose to go on and play for Manchester United. Flintoff also said if he wouldn’t have gone to play football, he himself would have found a door from the Lancashire club.

“He was a quick bowler as well. He got offered a contract at Lancashire, it was something like two-and-a-half grand a year or go and play for Manchester United. Luckily he went to United, otherwise, I might have ended up at Derbyshire or something,” said Flintoff.

Phil Neville and his brother Gary Neville both played for Manchester United during a golden era of the club. Phil won six premier league, one champions league and three FA cup titles with United during his career. He also represented the English football team.