04.09.11 | tribalfootball.com
Manchester United legend Gary Neville admitsWest Bromwich Albion winger Jerome Thomas ended his career last season.
Neville says his performance against the Baggies convinced him he couldn't cut it at the top level any more.
He wrote in his new book, 'Red', "With my obsessive attention to detailed preparation - the right number of leg weights, sprints, stretches - I knew I wasn't ready.
"Others might get away with cutting corners but, right through my career, if I wasn't in the right condition, I was half the player.
"Then I saw Paul Scholes in the canteen after I'd spoken to the manager, I told him my fears. 'This is going to be messy,' I said.
"He laughed.
"'You don't mean Lionel.' Typical Scholesy, ready to take the mickey.
"So now, at half-time against West Brom, I was staring at the toilet door and all my worst fears were coming true.
"I was making Jerome Thomas look like Ronaldo. It would have been even worse if the referee had spotted my trip on Graham Dorrans in the box.
"I deserved a red card; if justice had been done, my career would have finished there and then with a lonely, embarrassed walk to the dressing room.
"I'd got off lightly, but I wasn't going to avoid the wrath of the manager at half-time.
"I walked into a predictable, and deserved, blast for poor positioning. Perhaps sensing my troubles, Rio Ferdinand stuck up for me, offering to take the blame for one of West Brom's chances.
"It was good of him to put his hand up because I didn't have the stomach to argue back at the manager.
"All I wanted to do was get through that second half and get home."
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