PHIL Neville believes it is time for footballers to start looking at themselves if they are to avoid the frightening'' barracking they receive from supporters.

Portsmouth centre-back Sol Campbell claimed the abuse had gone too far'', in the wake of the reception he was given by Tottenham fans.

Campbell accused the Football Association of letting players down by not being more pro-active in addressing the issue, claiming they had sat idle, head in the sand and tried to brush it under the carpet''.

Neville fully appreciates Campbell's stance, as he and brother Gary have often been the targets of fearsome abuse in the past.

Yet he concedes footballers do not help themselves'', primarily because of the vitriol they are seen handing out to referees.

However, the 30-year-old Everton captain also feels young players earning fortunes at clubs have it far too easy.

As footballers, we need to look at ourselves,'' Neville said.

Eighty to 90 per cent of footballers handle themselves with dignity and in the right way.

But it's a small minority that are letting us down, and the vast amounts of money we earn means we have a lot of responsibility and are there to be shot at.

If we are going out for a drink then you have to make sure you are going to the right places and behave in the right way.

If you don't, let's make sure the punishment is severe enough so you don't do it again.

But I look at the young kids at clubs now and they don't seem to have the same upbringing in terms of punishment and things like that.

There's a softness coming through, not helped by the foreign influence.

I know when I was an apprentice, I not only did my football duties, I went to college one day a week and I also cleaned boots, showers and cars.

Nowadays, they are not allowed to do that.

I asked a young apprentice at Everton the other day to fill the fridge up with drinks for the first team and the youth coach said he was not allowed to do that.

I find it incredible there is that softness because young players are being paid vast amounts of money."

But when seasoned professionals are viewed by those same young players firing a verbal volley at match officials, Neville knows it is a case of practising what is being preached.

We don't help ourselves,'' he added.

We need to look after ourselves a lot better than we are doing, both on and off the pitch, but it is only a small minority.

For young kids coming through, it is only right for them to look at us as examples."