Fergie praise for skipper

United chief delighted for Neville

Last updated: 29th September 2008

Gary Neville Manchester United

Neville: Back in action

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Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed Gary Neville's return to action with Manchester United.

The Red Devils chief admits he was worried his captain would never play top-flight football again after a string of injuries had sidelined him for nearly two years.

Neville has finally returned to action this season and is being tipped to earn a recall to the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus next month.

And Ferguson is quick to praise the 33-year-old for getting back into the first-team fold.

"When you consider the way Gary has been plagued by injuries for 18 months, he has done brilliantly to come back so convincingly," said Ferguson.

"At one point I thought he would not make it back into the Premier League. But he has and all credit to him.

"He persevered and never lost faith, despite the succession of niggles and strains that followed his ankle injury. He is a role model for any player feeling down on his luck."