Phil Neville: "Because I'm worth it"

MOST football fans will remember Mario Balotelli's 'Why Always Me?' t-shirt message. Many will also recall Robbie Fowler's printed words of support for sacked Liverpool dockers.

But how many can remember Phil Neville's 'Because I'm Worth It' slogan?

It is one of thousands of previously unseen t-shirt messages which will be featured at the new National Football Museum in Manchester when it opens on July 6.

The collection features a vast range of political and personal messages which were never unveiled during Premier League matches because the t-shirt wearers failed to score a goal.

The list includes:

“Mum, I forgot to record The Archers” - worn by Mick Quinn for Coventry City against Wimbledon in November 1992

“I don't know what an iron is” - Ray Parlour, Arsenal v West Ham United, March 1996

“Let's have cross-party, Pan-European political consensus on North Sea fishing quotas” James Beattie, Southampton v Fulham, December 2001

“Because I'm worth it” - Phil Neville, Manchester United v Middlesbrough, April 2002

“I'm parked in a disabled bay and I fuckin luv it” - Joey Barton, Newcastle United v Everton, February 2008.

One of the museum's permanent exhibits will be Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who will tell visitors how an ill-advised t-shirt message eventually led to the breakdown of his long-term relationship.

Ahead of the exhibition's launch, Mr Schwarzer told The Ugly Truth: “Just after I joined Middlesbrough in 1997, I decided I wanted to find an original and romantic way to propose to my girlfriend, so I wore a t-shirt underneath my goalkeeper's vest which said 'Carly, will you marry me?'.

“I wore the t-shirt at every match for 14 years but unfortunately I never really got into a goalscoring position, so I didn't have the chance to go through with the proposal.

“Carly left me for Brad Friedel last July,” he added.