‘They don’t make them like they used to’ - Gary Neville and Phil Thompson pay tribute to Kevin Keegan

Former England right-back Gary Neville has revealed the lingering regret he carries over his time playing for Kevin Keegan – admitting: “I felt like I let him down.”

Neville, who was one of the Manchester United stars Keegan regularly selected during his time as England manager, believes he failed to reproduce his club form on the international stage at a crucial period of his career.

And the former England defender says that feeling has stayed with him, particularly because of the respect and affection he had for Keegan growing up.

“I think he's the one manager that I played for that I felt like I let down,” Neville said.

“I didn't play well for him. It was that period just after the 99 treble to sort of 2000 and I wasn't in a good place myself at United. I wasn't playing well.

“I didn't play well for England in the Euro 2000 tournament. I was well below par and I feel like I let Kevin down.”

England failed to get out of the group stage at Euro 2000. They opened the tournament with a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Portugal, and despite beating Germany 1-0 through an Alan Shearer header, fell short in their final game when they were beaten 3-2 by Romania.

Neville and David Beckham had been combining brilliantly down Manchester United’s right flank - and Keegan had spoken about the possibility of transferring that partnership to England. But Neville struggled to reproduce his club form for the national team.

Neville’s regret became even stronger after England’s World Cup qualifier ended with defeat by Germany in the final game at the old Wembley.

He remembers Keegan walking into the dressing room afterwards without anger or recriminations before telling his players he had taken the team as far as he could.

“I've taken it as far as I can,” Keegan told the players. “I know when my time's up. I've taken this group as far as I can. I love you all, lads.”

Neville said the honesty of the Doncaster-born manager stayed with him.

“It was his tremendous honesty and I respected him for that,” he said.

“It wasn't going well. I think he took everything to heart, his passion, his feeling for his country, and he was a man who wouldn't let people down.”

Yet Neville’s memories of Keegan stretch far beyond that difficult period with England. He describes him as a man whose energy and enthusiasm were impossible to match.

“Obviously working with him with England, I just thought his energy was – you can't keep up with that energy,” Neville said.

“Someone who every single day has got that relentless positivity. It was like a storm, a tornado when he entered the room. Just the passion, the feeling, the togetherness, everything that he brought was incredible. It was infectious. Massively infectious.”

Neville believes that relentless desire was a key reason why Keegan became a two-time Ballon d’Or winner during his playing days.

“There were people who had more skills than Kevin Keegan, but they didn't have his desire and his passion, his commitment to the cause,” he said.

Former Liverpool team-mate Phil Thompson also paid tribute to Keegan.

“Kevin still remains the best people's man that I've ever met in my life,” Thompson said.

“He had time for everybody. There wasn't too many. There were a lot of helpers and workers doing this.

“He had a chat. He asked people how they were and he's never lost it.So he's just a wonderful human being.”

For Neville, that combination of talent, enthusiasm and warmth is what made Keegan so special. And when asked what comes to mind when he pictures the Doncaster-born icon, his answer was simple.

“A smile.”

Neville also recalled something his father and grandfather used to say – a phrase he believes perfectly captures Keegan.

“They don't make them like they used to,” he said.

“And I think of Kevin.”