Schmeichel reveals why he respected Neville's derby handshake snub ahead of first Manchester clash this season

Peter Schmeichel says he actually admired Gary Neville for refusing to shake his hand in the tunnel at Maine Road before the 2002 Manchester derby — a story that resurfaces as Manchester United prepare to host Manchester City in the first league meeting between the clubs this season.

Schmeichel spent eight years at Old Trafford, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League, before a spell at Sporting CP and Aston Villa led him to cross the city divide and join City in 2002. Before a derby that City won 3-1, Neville blanked his former teammate in the pre-match handshake line.

Far from taking offence, Schmeichel said the snub spoke well of the defender. Speaking on the UTD Podcast, he said: “I’ll tell you what — I kind of liked him for it. You have to do everything you can for your team and one thing is you put your passion in there. You have to look very, very hard to find anyone who’s got more passion for Man United than Gary Neville.”

Neville himself has since explained his thinking, drawing a clear distinction between respect and rivalry. Speaking on the Quickly Kevin, Will He Score? podcast, he said: “When you look back now and you’re in your forties, like I am, there’s two things about that. One, he left Man United at the age of whatever he was, 35, and he said he was retiring, basically to go abroad. At the time when he came back, he played for Manchester City. You can’t play for Manchester City. I’m a United fan and I can’t play for Manchester City, I can’t play for Leeds and I can’t play for Liverpool. That’s just written in stone.”

Neville also argued that Schmeichel’s move was unnecessary given United’s goalkeeping situation at the time. “He’d won the treble with United in ‘99, said that he was retiring… he should have carried on playing for United for the next two or three years if that was the case. We struggled for a keeper between Peter and Edwin [van der Sar].”

Schmeichel’s record in the derby underlines just how charged the fixture was for both men. Playing for United, he beat City seven times in the league; playing for City, he beat United once — in that very 3-1 win.

The anecdote sets the tone for Sunday’s renewal, with United and City meeting at Old Trafford for the first time in the current Premier League season.