Neil Mellor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Neil Mellor

Mellor playing for Preston North End in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Neil Andrew Mellor
Date of birth	(1982-11-04) 4 November 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
1999–2002	Liverpool
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2006	Liverpool	12	(2)
2003–2004	→ West Ham United (loan)	16	(2)
2006	→ Wigan Athletic (loan)	3	(1)
2006–2012	Preston North End	130	(38)
2010–2011	→ Sheffield Wednesday (loan)	33	(13)
Total		194	(56)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Neil Andrew Mellor (born 4 November 1982) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals. Neil started his career at Liverpool in the top league, the Premier League.

He became well-known in 2004 for scoring an amazing goal from far away. This goal, in the last minute, helped Liverpool beat Arsenal 2–1 at their home stadium, Anfield. Mellor also scored a very important goal and helped set up another one in a Champions League match against Olympiacos. Liverpool went on to win the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League that season. After Liverpool, he played for Preston North End. Sadly, a knee injury in December 2011 forced him to stop playing football professionally in May 2012. Since then, Neil Mellor has worked in media, giving updates for Sky Sports News and working for LFC TV, Liverpool's own TV channel.

Neil Mellor's Football Journey

Starting at Liverpool

Neil Mellor was born in Sheffield, England. His father, Ian Mellor, was also a famous footballer who played for teams like Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday. Neil was a strong player who played in the middle of the attack.

He was a top scorer for Liverpool's youth teams. In the 2000–01 season, he scored eight goals in just four games in the FA Youth Cup. He also scored many goals for the under-19 team and the reserve team. In the 2002–03 season, he scored 20 goals for the reserves.

Neil made his first team debut for Liverpool in the 2002–03 season. He played six games and scored a goal in a League Cup semi-final match against Sheffield United. Even though Liverpool lost that game, Neil showed great promise. He signed a new three-year contract in March 2003.

Loan Spells and Big Goals

In August 2003, Liverpool's manager, Gérard Houllier, sent Neil on loan to West Ham United for a year. He scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Crystal Palace. However, he had some injuries and played in different positions, which made it a tough time for him.

Neil soon returned to Liverpool and started scoring lots of goals for the reserve team again. Before the 2004–05 season, he hurt his knee but got back to full fitness. He returned to the first team in a 3–0 League Cup win against Millwall. In the next round, he scored two goals to help Liverpool knock out the previous winners, Middlesbrough.

Neil Mellor then had some amazing moments for Liverpool. In November 2004, Liverpool and Arsenal were tied 1–1 with only minutes left. Neil hit a fantastic shot from 30 yards out, which flew into the net to win the game for Liverpool!

Just ten days later, he had another huge impact. Liverpool needed to win their Champions League game against Olympiacos by two goals to move to the next stage. Neil came on as a substitute and scored within two minutes! Later, he headed the ball perfectly to set up Steven Gerrard for the third goal, securing Liverpool's spot in the next round. He scored his last league goal for Liverpool in December 2004 in a 3–1 win over Newcastle.

Injuries and Farewell to Liverpool

In March 2005, Neil had to have surgery on both knees. This meant he couldn't play for the rest of the 2004–05 season. It was tough for him to miss out as his teammates went on to win the Champions League. Even though he didn't play in the final stages, his goals earlier in the competition were very important.

Neil returned to play for Liverpool's reserve team in December 2005. In January 2006, he joined Wigan Athletic on loan. In his first game for Wigan, he scored the winning goal in injury time during a 3–2 victory against Middlesbrough. However, more knee injuries meant he only played three games for Wigan.

Even with his injuries and not playing many first-team games, Neil Mellor was very popular with Liverpool fans. After he stopped playing professional football, he returned to Liverpool to work for LFC TV, doing media and commentary.

Playing for Preston North End

In August 2006, Neil Mellor signed a three-year contract with Preston North End, a team in the Football League Championship. The manager, Paul Simpson, was very happy to sign him, saying Neil was a great goalscorer.

Another knee injury in a friendly game delayed Neil's debut for Preston. He finally scored his first goal for Preston in March 2007 in a 3–1 win against Southampton. Under a new manager, Alan Irvine, Neil started to play much better. He scored nine goals after Christmas in 2007.

In July 2008, Neil showed his skill again by scoring a fantastic 30-yard volley for Preston in a friendly game. He scored eight goals during the pre-season games in 2008–09.

Despite a good start, Neil lost his place in the team for a while. He got it back and scored in Preston's 3–1 win against their local rivals, Blackpool. But another injury meant he missed more games. He got fit again to play against his old club, Liverpool, in the FA Cup, which Preston lost 2–0.

Neil scored his first goal for Preston since March 2010 on the first day of the 2011–12 season. This was in a 4–2 loss to Colchester United. In December of that season, he got another knee injury and was out for three months. After a season with many injuries, Neil Mellor announced he was retiring from football on 9 May 2012.

Loan to Sheffield Wednesday

On 2 July 2010, Neil Mellor joined his former manager Alan Irvine at Sheffield Wednesday, a team in Football League One. He joined them on a loan for the whole season. Neil played his first league game for Sheffield Wednesday on 7 August 2010.

He scored his first ever hat-trick (three goals in one game) for Sheffield Wednesday on 10 November 2010. This was in a 4–1 win against Hartlepool United in the Football League Trophy. He then scored another hat-trick just 10 days later in another 4–1 win, this time against MK Dons in a league game.

After a small injury, Neil found it hard to get back into form and didn't start many games. However, he returned to the first team against Colchester United and scored two goals in a 2–1 win. A few days later, he started another home match, setting up two goals and winning a penalty. He then scored the final goal of the match himself from a difficult angle.

Career Statistics