Moyes is the REAL Special One

JOSE MOURINHO may be closing in on his second coming at Chelsea.

But the real Special One is off to Old Trafford.

When Alex Ferguson shocked the world by calling it a day, there were plenty of Manchester United fans who felt Mourinho was the only man big enough to fill his boots.

Yet in David Moyes, United’s top brass have gone for a man with his own brand of stardust.

And Phil Neville, who has spent longer playing under both Fergie and his replacement than anyone in football, reckons the Red Devils could not have made a better choice.

Neville followed a decade winning silverware at United with eight years with Moyes at Everton, before leaving Goodison at the weekend.

And the ex-England defender is adamant Moyes is far better suited to his new role than Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti or any other top-line European gaffer.

Neville insisted: “David Moyes is the best candidate, 100 per cent. You can put him alongside any coach in the world for that job and he is the best candidate.

“He’s not at United for two or three seasons. If Mourinho came to Man United you’d think, with his track record, that in maybe three seasons he’d be gone.

“People talk about Mourinho being the Special One but the gaffer has something special about him in his own way. United are looking at the next 20 years. They’ve just given Moyes a six-year contract, and he’s probably going to be there for the rest of his managerial career. It’s that kind of club.

“They invest in a certain kind of manager and that’s why he’s the best man for the job.

“There’s no one else they could have invested in who would offer the same longevity as the previous manager.

“He keeps producing. Every season at Everton. People would say he’s going to get stale and the club will finish in the bottom half but that never happens.

“He sucks everything out of everyone. That shows you he’s got something. Of course the pressure will always be there and he’ll have to win games and trophies — but he’ll do that.”

Moyes, 50, stuck his neck out by signing Neville, with sceptical Blues fans wondering just how committed he would be after life at United.

The now former Goodison chief then went further by appointing him skipper, another decision which proved spot on.

For his part, Neville could not believe he had gone to work for a man just as driven as Fergie.

He added: “I never thought anyone could work harder than Alex Ferguson so when people asked me for comparisons I always said the biggest is how hard they work.

“It amazes me the number of games he goes to. We’d have a game in London, get home and then he’s off again to watch a game in Birmingham or somewhere. It’s that work ethic that has got him to United.”

Neville himself could yet follow Moyes to Old Trafford, as part of his backroom team, while he is still pitching for the Everton job.

Stoke muddied the waters with a coaching offer before Tony Pulis left.

The only thing for certain is he will one day move into management.

Neville, 36, admitted: “I’ve been writing things down for the last five years — talks, manager’s team meetings, training sessions, whatever. You either have it or don’t. It’s something that inspires me. When I went away with the England Under-21s and I was in meetings with other coaches, I didn’t want them to end.

“I’ve got files for the last three pre-seasons. That’s something I can look back on. It’s part of learning. If someone came to me now and said, ‘Put a session on for directional play’, I’ve got it.

“Football is my life. I was doing a lot of things at 19 that the sports scientists of today are saying are revolutionary.

“I had an ankle operation at 19 and realised then the strength of prehabilitation, which is going into the gym beforehand and doing strength work afterwards.

“No one else was in the gym at that age, but every single day before training I was there.

“I’ve learned what it takes to be a top boss. There’s no secret formula — it’s just hard work.”