Neville's Valencia voyage of discovery doomed to fail

Gary Neville's unhappy tenure at Valencia was brought to a sudden halt on Wednesday when the Spanish club announced he had been fired after just four months in charge.

Neville's first foray into senior management after limited experience as an assistant to Roy Hodgson with England was a risky one from the day his appointment was announced in early December.

On the back of a hugely successful 20-year playing career with Manchester United, Neville had gained widespread praise for his astute analysis as a Sky Sports pundit in his homeland before taking up the challenge offered by Valencia's Singaporean owner, his business partner and friend Peter Lim.