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‘Ronaldo moaned about farmer’s field of a pitch’ – Neville riled Real Madrid star during Valencia spell

The Manchester United legend admits to purposely leaving the grass long at the Mestalla for a Liga meeting with his former Red Devils team-mate

Gary Neville admits to having purposely riled former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo during his brief spell as Valencia manager, with “a farmer’s field” of a pitch created for a meeting with Real Madrid.

The legendary Red Devils defender did not enjoy too many highs during a forgettable coaching stint in Spain which lasted less than four months.

He did, however, oversee a notable 2-2 draw with a star-studded Madrid side and the balance of power in that contest was levelled by long grass at the Mestalla, with Neville eager to ensure that life was made as difficult as possible for the Blancos.