Go back to school! Every TV pundit needs to study for coaching badges, insists Neville (but would that stop Shearer and Co stating the obvious on Match of the Day?)

Gary Neville believes that football pundits should gain coaching qualifications, claiming that the quality of TV analysis would be improved if more ex-pros attended the FA courses.



Speaking to FATV from Istanbul, where Neville is currently taking in the FIFA Under 20 World Cup as part of his UEFA Pro licence course, the former Manchester United full-back stated his belief that other pundits could benefit from the knowledge that he has picked up in the classroom.



While Neville’s expert punditry on Sky Sports has been widely-acclaimed, other ex-professionals - including the likes of Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen on Match of the Day - have been criticised by football supporters for sometimes stating the obvious and adding little new to the discussion.



Rivals: Gary Neville (third left) is part of Sky's acclaimed team of football pundits... while the Match of the Day regulars, including Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen (below), are often criticised by fans for 'obvious' analysis



VIDEO: WATCH NEVILLE DISCUSS HOW TO BE A PUNDIT







Neville, who is also now England's assistant manager , said: ‘We have done a lot of video analysis this week on the course. It is becoming a critical point of football now. The fans want more, they demand more.



'From a broadcasting point of view, they don’t just want telling that the ball has ended up in the back of the net, they want to know why it has ended up in the back of the net. They want to know who made the mistake, why they made the mistake, how they made the mistake and how to rectify the mistake.

‘Even if you don’t believe in getting the certificate because you know everything yourself, or you believe your knowledge is great, you’re going to be listening to and sharing ideas with 22 very good people on this course.



Cult hero: Neville has become part of Roy Hodgson's England set-up since retiring from Manchester United

'There are people from academies and first teams in the Premier League; we have had speakers from the army on leadership. You can’t fail to learn more by completing this course.’



But Neville, who has received great praise for his analysis and has been tipped for big management roles in the future is realistic about his progression, recognising the fickle nature of modern football.



The 38-year-old, who was joined on the course by former Manchester United team-mates Paul Ince and Ryan Giggs, said: ‘I want to be the Manchester United manager for 25 years like Sir Alex Ferguson, I want to be the England manager like Sir Alf Ramsey and I want to be knighted and sit there on Trafalgar Square with an open-top bus.



‘But then I listen to the reality – 63 managers lost their job last year, there are talented people on the course fighting to get back into football, there are fantastically incredible, intelligent and talented people that I played with who have found it difficult in management.’

