Sir Alex Ferguson has said that his former Manchester United captain Gary Neville will be a success at Valencia because "everything he touches turns to gold".

Neville starts his first managerial role on Wednesday night when the La Liga side face a must-win final Champions League Group H clash against Lyon as they look to salvage a place in the last 16 of the competition.

The 40-year-old's former manager insists that Neville has all of the attributes necessary to succeed in the dugout, and praised his ex-player's courage in making the move to Spain.

"[Gary] is an incredible human being and everything that he touches turn to gold," Ferguson told The Mirror. "His business side is going well, in his role with England he has done well, on TV he has done fantastic so I think that he will do well and is going to be a success.

"It is typical Gary, he has got the courage to do something like this. It is a big step going from owning Salford City Football Club to managing Valencia but he has got the football experience and that role with England which will help him.

"But the most important thing that he has got is incredible determination and he is a good decision maker. He is prepared to make a decision and he has a positive attitude. He came to my house and I said, 'Be yourself. Trust in your convictions, which you have done throughout your playing career and they have never let you down.' I think that will help him."

Neville played over 600 games for United in 19 seasons under Ferguson's tutelage.