Gary Neville in total agreement with Ruud van Nistelrooy over ‘massive problem’ at Leicester City

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Gary Neville believes that Ruud van Nistelrooy has every right to be frustrated by one ‘massive problem’ he’s encountered as Leicester City manager.

Van Nistelrooy has had a torrid time in charge of the Foxes and has accumulated less points than Steve Cooper – despite being at the helm for longer.

Off-field problems have also played a part in performances on the pitch, with Leicester looking all-but-certain to head straight back to the Championship and his former Manchester United teammate has sympathy for the Dutchman.

Gary Neville slams Leicester players for commuting issue

Whilst Van Nistelrooy has rightly received plenty of criticism, he hasn’t been helped by his own players.

The Leicester boss fell out with Harry Winks after the midfielder refused to stay at the training ground one night a week. Since that fall out became public knowledge, Winks hasn’t been in the last two match day squads.

Asked about it in his pre-Brighton & Hove Albion press conference, Van Nistelrooy refused to address the Winks situation but in the latest Stick to Football episode, Neville strongly backed the Dutchman’s insistence on players living close to the training ground.

He said: “I’ve got a massive problem with that. If you don’t commit to a football club that are paying you good money by moving your family up or moving yourself up… If they’re paying that level of money, the least you can do is be professional.

“If you’re travelling in a car for an hour-and-a-half, it’s not good for your legs, it’s not good for your back, it’s not good for anything. Travelling is guaranteed to bring you injury.”

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Harry Winks’ injury record backs up Neville claim

It might seem like an easy thing to suggest from Neville that long commutes result in injuries but, he is right.

Winks in particular is one who must be careful with injuries. The 29-year-old has suffered a long-term ankle injury in 2018 and missed 23 games for Tottenham Hotspur but since joining the Foxes in 2024, has been relatively injury-free.

Last season, the midfielder didn’t miss a single game through injury and has only missed four this term with an ankle knock.

Although it’s a vast improvement, the previous injuries don’t make for good reading and further setbacks would only add extra value to Neville’s argument.