Manchester United legend Gary Neville appointed Valencia manager
Gary Neville has been appointed head coach of Spanish team Valencia until the end of the season.
The position is the Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United and England defender's first ever senior role in coaching or management.
Neville has worked as an assistant coach to Roy Hodgson for England since 2012, holds a Uefa A coaching licence and has impressed audiences with detailed analysis in his post-playing work as a pundit.
He will continue to work for England during Euro 2016, but has ended his role with Sky Sports with immediate effect.
Read more: Gary Neville details post-football business ambitions
Neville said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be given this opportunity with Valencia. Valencia are a huge football club of immense standing and I know from my time as a player the passion and dedication of the Valencia fans.
"I am really looking forward to working with the club’s talented group of players and am excited about the challenge ahead."
The former right-back will link up with brother Phil who is an assistant coach at the Spanish giants and will take charge of his first game next week when Valencia take on Lyon at their Mestalla stadium in the Champions League.
Neville has previously enjoyed close ties with Valencia owner Peter Lim, the Singaporean billionaire who holds a 50 per cent share in Salford City, the lower league football club co-owned by Neville and other former United players in the "Class of '92" group.
Valencia president Layhoon Chan said she was "delighted" to have secured the signing of a player "hugely respected" in English football.
"He combines top level coaching experience through his role as a senior coach with the England national team and a world-class playing career with England and Manchester United," said Chan.
"Throughout his career Gary has always shown great leadership both on and off the pitch. He is hugely respected in English football and it was his personal qualities which persuaded us that he was the right choice to lead Valencia until the end of the season."