Phil Neal

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Phil Neal
Personal information
Full name Philip George Neal
Date of birth February 20, 1951
Place of birth Irchester, England
Position Right full-back
Club information
Current club Retired
Professional clubs*
Years Club Apps (goals)
1968-1974
1974-1985
1985-1989		 Northampton Town
Liverpool
Bolton Wanderers		 187 (27)
455 (41)
64 (3)
National team
1976-1983 England 50 (5)
Teams managed
1985-1992
1993-1995
1996		 Bolton Wanderers
Coventry City
Manchester City

* Professional club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.

Philip 'Phil' George Neal (born Irchester, Northants, February 20, 1951) is a much-decorated former footballer who is the only player to have appeared in the first five of Liverpool's European Cup finals. He was a dependable full back. His son, Ashley Neal, also had a footballing career, albeit short-lived.

Contents

[edit] Life and playing career

Neal scored the crucial clinching penalty when the Anfield club beat Borussia Monchengladbach in Rome to win the trophy for the first time in 1977 and subsequently played in the club's further successes in 1978 and 1981, beating FC Bruges and Real Madrid respectively, with both games ending 1-0.

In Liverpool's fourth final in 1984, Neal scored again - this time from open play and again in Rome - as Liverpool drew 1-1 with A.S. Roma and won on a penalty shoot-out, during which Neal again scored. The following year he missed out on a phenomenal fifth winners' medal when Juventus won 1-0 at Heysel in a match rendered meaningless because of the rioting beforehand in which 39 Juventus fans were killed and resulted in Liverpool's banishment from European club football.

Neal had a one hundred per cent record of appearances for the club in European Cup finals until a generation later when the 2005 side reached the final and won.

A full back who joined the club on the 9th October 1974 for £66,000 after making his name in English football's lower divisions with Northampton Town, Neal was the first signing to be made by manager Bob Paisley, snapped up as a replacement for the ageing Chris Lawler. Although he played a few games on the left side of the defence, it was as an industrious, energetic right back that he made his name.

Neal made his Liverpool debut, at left-back, in the Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park on the 16th November 1974, although te league meeting between the two was the usual hard fought, 100 mph styled game, neither team managed to break the deadlock with the game ending 0-0, also making his Liverpool bow that day was midfielder Terry McDermott. Phil's first goal for the club came a year later on the 4th November 1975 during the 6-0 thrashing of Real Sociedad in a UEFA Cup 2nd round 2nd leg tie at Anfield, Neal's goal came in the 79th minute and rounded off the scoring, it goes without saying that Liverpool won the tie, but they did so in style having already seen off Spanish side by 3 goals to 1 in the 1st leg.

Neal won his first of a staggering eight League championships in 1976, along with the UEFA Cup. The following year, he was part of a side gunning for a unique treble of League, FA Cup and European Cup. The title was won, but Liverpool then lost the FA Cup final to Manchester United at Wembley. It was testament to Liverpool's nerve and professionalism that they were able to put that disappointment behind them quickly to win that special first European Cup.

As proved with his late spot kick, Neal was a clinical penalty taker, a role he had taken on the previous season, although he did miss one in the hotbed of a Merseyside derby game against fierce rivals Everton. He took the penalties throughout his long Anfield career, bumping his goal tally to 60 in total, an impressive haul for a defensive player.

In 1978, Neal was in the Liverpool team which lost the League Cup final to Nottingham Forest but subequently retained their European crown. The following year they won back the League title and then retained it in 1980. In 1981, the club's first League Cup came along before they added that third European Cup; and for the next two seasons Liverpool won both the League and League Cup.

Throughout this time, Neal never missed a League game for the club. He played 365 consecutive matches for Liverpool from 1975 to 1983, finally seeing this sequence brought to a halt after he suffered an injury which forced him out of one solitary match, it was a League Cup 2nd round 1st leg tie at Griffin Park on the 5th October '83, the versatile young Scot Steve Nicol covered for the injured Neal as the Reds won comfortabley by 4 goals to 1.

In 1984, Liverpool added their fourth European Cup to the League title and League Cup which they again retained. Neal maintained his place throughout this season and was rewarded with the captaincy by manager Joe Fagan after Graeme Souness departed for Sampdoria in the summer.

Unfortunately for Neal, his one season as captain turned out to be a year when Liverpool emerged trophyless and with their reputation after Heysel in tatters. Fagan quit as manager afterwards due to the grief and Neal lost the captaincy under new manager Kenny Dalglish, who instead gave it to Alan Hansen.

Neal started the season in his regular role but Dalglish soon replaced him with Nicol, with his place going to the Scot, Neal departed Anfield after 11 years, joining Bolton Wanderers as player manager in the December of 1985. When Liverpool won the League again that season (on their way to a "double with the FA Cup) Neal was awarded an eighth and final championship medal having made enough appearances to quaify for the medal, though it is a sad irony that the one domestic honour which eluded him, the FA Cup, was won by the club immediately before he arrived in 1974 and then immediately after he left in 1986, meaning he just missed out on both occasions.

He quit playing in 1989 after more than 700 League appearances, as well as 50 caps for England between 1976 and 1983, scoring five goals. Only Gary Neville has won more England caps as a right back. Neal's first cap was awarded to him by Don Revie on the 24th March 1976, Wales were the opposition and th Racecourse Ground the venue with England winning 2-1, Phil should felt at home during his debut as club mates Ray Clemence, Phil Thompson, Ray Kennedy and Kevin Keegan, who skippered the side, were all picked and played the whole 90 minutes. His first goal for his country came on the 16th May 1978 during a British Home Championship fixture at Wembley, his goal was enough to see off Northern Ireland by a goal to nil.

Neal left Bolton to embark upon what turned out to be a memorable if infamous spell as a right-hand man to Graham Taylor during his spell in charge of the England team. Neal was frequently heard to parrot Taylor on every tactical idea he had, without ever coming up with suggestions of his own. This was captured on camera during a notorious fly on the wall documentary broadcast on Channel 4 after Taylor's reign had ended in disappointing failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. Neal became a mild source of ridicule as a result, though he continued to work as a coach and manager. He spent two years in charge at Coventry City and subsequently had spells at Cardiff City and Manchester City.

In recent years, Neal has worked as a football pundit for various television and radio organisations. He has also played for and coached the Liverpool masters side which dominated the Sky Sports Masters series.

Neal is still a favourite amongst the Liverpool supporters and finished a respectable 20th in the 2006 poll 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, the poll was compiled by the official Liverpool Football Club web-sitein which 110,000 fans from all over the world participated, they had to choose their favourite 10 Liverpool players of all time. Neal's 20th position gave him the accolade of being the Reds highest placed right-back beating the likes of Chris Lawler, Rob Jones, Tommy Smith, and the man who replaced him at Anfield, Steve Nicol

[edit] Honours As Player

  • Liverpool F.C (1974 - 1985) - 650 appearances, 60 goals

[edit] Honours As Manager

Preceded by:
Charlie Wright		 Bolton Wanderers manager
1985-1992		 Succeeded by:
Bruce Rioch
England England squad - 1982 World Cup England

1 Clemence | 2 Anderson | 3 Brooking | 4 Butcher | 5 Coppell | 6 Foster | 7 Keegan | 8 Francis | 9 Hoddle | 10 McDermott | 11 Mariner | 12 Mills | 13 Corrigan | 14 Neal | 15 Rix | 16 Robson | 17 Sansom | 18 Thompson | 19 Wilkins | 20 Withe | 21 Woodcock | 22 Shilton | Coach: Greenwood

[edit] External links

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