Part of Neville’s bond with the players has included setting up WhatsApp groups for all of his squad so he can “check in” with them and find out more about what makes them tick.
The players have welcomed the move, and says he makes the mood in camp fun. That was shown in a training video posted on social media last month, in which Neville was nutmegged by Manchester United captain Alex Greenwood and her England team-mates all piled on top of him to celebrate.
Striker Jodie Taylor says: “His communication is second to none; he gets people and gets being a player.”
Neville can also call on his experiences of both the highs and lows of the game to motivate his players, having been part of the Manchester United squad that won the 1999 Champions League final, yet also suffered the agony of narrowly missing out on three men’s World Cup squads.
Moyes says that Neville’s experience makes him acutely aware of the rhythm of a game and the need to make changes, while Bronze says he trades on the psychological side of the game rather than bombarding players with tactical masterclasses.
It’s an approach she likens to that of Gareth Southgate, who led the England men’s team to the World Cup semi-finals last July.
“I remember a game between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison where he went through Cristiano Ronaldo near the touchline,” Moyes says referring a 1-1 draw in the 2008-09 season, which Neville has said was a defining moment in his Everton career.
“The game was a bit dull and we weren’t really in it, but he did that because we needed to up the ante and get the crowd behind us to turn the game into something different. Phil had a great sense of knowing when we needed more.”
Bronze adds: “Gareth Southgate changed quite a lot with the boys and Phil has been similar.
“They are not out there giving you a mastermind of football tactics that is going to confuse you or change the game. We play simple football, we play good football and work hard.
“And then how he manages us off the field is ultimately where you see us strive and where he gets those good performances from us on the day.”
That might sound like a simplistic or even complacent approach, but Campbell says Neville “always wants to know more”.
A visit to Jurgen Grobler, who has coached Great Britain’s rowers to golds at seven consecutive Olympics, also opened Neville’s eyes to new ideas about how to tune a team for success at the highest level.
“He spent most of his time on a bike, cycling up and down the course at Eton Dorney,” says Campbell. “But he also had a long chat with Jurgen to ask about how he’d been so successful. He said it was an awesome experience, and it’s just that enquiring nature he has.”