It's possibly one of the strangest thoughts - the Neville brothers mere presence was thought of as insuting.
I mean, I know Gary used to say a lot in his Sky Sports punditry, but is he that bad?
Ahead of Euro 96, England played China in a warm-up game. It was the first time that both Neville brothers would represent their country at the same time. It was Phil's 19th birthday, and he was making his England debut. It was meant to be a big occasion.
But apparently, there was controversy in China over the selection. The match was played in Beijing, and the Chinese were not happy that the Neville brothers were playing. Apparently, they perceived it as a taunt towards China:
This detail about the diplomatic furore surrounding Nevilles playing in pre-Euro 96 friendly vs China is new to me. pic.twitter.com/gQLiKvQTqt
— Ben Machell (@ben_machell) June 6, 2016
