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 November 4, 1982) is an English former professional footballer. He was a talented striker known for scoring important goals. Neil started his career at Liverpool in the top-tier Premier League. He became famous in 2004 for scoring an amazing last-minute goal from far away against Arsenal at Anfield, helping Liverpool win 2–1.

Mellor also scored a crucial goal and set up another during Liverpool's match with Olympiacos in the group stage of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League. Liverpool went on to win that competition. After leaving Liverpool, he played for Preston North End. In December 2011, a knee injury forced Neil to retire from football on May 9, 2012. Since then, he has worked in media, including giving match updates for Sky Sports News and working for LFC TV.

Football Career Highlights

Starting at Liverpool

Neil Mellor was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. His father, Ian Mellor, was also a professional footballer. Neil was a strong and physical forward. He was the top scorer for Liverpool's youth team in the 2000–01 season, scoring eight goals in four games during their run to the FA Youth Cup semi-final. He also scored many goals for the under-19 team and the reserve team.

In the 2002–03 season, Neil scored 20 goals for the reserve team. He made his first team debut for Liverpool in the same season. He played six games and scored in a League Cup semi-final match against Sheffield United. Even though Liverpool lost that game, Neil showed great promise. He was given a new three-year contract in March 2003.

Loan Spells and Key Goals

In August 2003, Liverpool's manager, Gérard Houllier, sent Neil on a year-long loan to West Ham United. He scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Crystal Palace. However, he faced injuries and played in different positions, which made his time at West Ham difficult. Neil soon returned to Liverpool and scored 10 goals in just four games for the reserve team.

Before the 2004–05 season, Neil injured his knee. But he recovered and 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 defending champions, Middlesbrough. In November 2004, he started a UEFA Champions League game against Monaco.

Neil became a regular player in the first team squad. In November 2004, with Liverpool and Arsenal tied 1–1, Neil scored an amazing 30-yard volley in the last minute to win the game for Liverpool. Just ten days later, things got even better. Liverpool needed to win by two goals against Olympiacos to move forward in the Champions League. Neil came into the game and scored within two minutes. Then, he headed the ball to Steven Gerrard, who scored the third goal, securing Liverpool's spot in the next round. Neil scored his final league goal for Liverpool in December 2004 in a 3–1 win over Newcastle.

Injuries and Farewell

In March 2005, Neil had surgery on both knees, which ended his 2004–05 season. This meant he missed out on the chance to play in the Champions League final, which Liverpool famously won. Even though he didn't play in the knockout stages, his earlier goals were very important to their success. Neil returned to play for Liverpool's reserve team in December 2005.

In January 2006, Neil joined Wigan Athletic on loan. In his first match, he scored the winning goal in injury time against Middlesbrough. However, more knee injuries meant he only played three games for Wigan.

Even with his injuries and limited first-team games at Liverpool, Neil was voted 90th in a poll called "100 Players Who Shook the Kop." After he retired from playing, Neil returned to Liverpool to work for their TV channel, LFC TV, doing media and commentary.

Playing for Preston North End

In August 2006, Neil Mellor signed a three-year contract with Football League Championship club Preston North End. He joined for an unknown fee, believed to be around £1.5 million. The manager, Paul Simpson, was excited about Neil joining.

Another knee injury during a pre-season friendly 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 new manager Alan Irvine, Neil started to play much better. He scored nine goals after Christmas in 2007. On July 30, 2008, Neil scored another amazing 30-yard volley for Preston in a friendly game. He scored eight goals during the 2008–09 pre-season.

Despite a good pre-season, Neil lost his place in the team due to inconsistent form. He got his spot back and scored in Preston's 3–1 win against local rivals Blackpool. But another injury made him miss more games. He recovered in time 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 opening day of the 2011–12 season. He scored in a 4–2 defeat to Colchester United. In December of that season, Neil got another knee injury. This injury eventually led to him announcing his retirement on May 9, 2012.

Loan to Sheffield Wednesday

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

Neil scored his first professional career hat-trick for Sheffield Wednesday on November 10, 2010, in a 4–1 win against Hartlepool United. He then scored another hat-trick just 10 days later in another 4–1 win, this time against MK Dons.

After a minor injury, Neil found it hard to get back into form. However, he returned to action against Colchester United and scored two goals in a 2–1 victory. A few days later, he played another home match, setting up two goals and winning a penalty. He then scored the final goal of the match from a difficult angle.

Career Statistics

This table shows how many games Neil Mellor played and how many goals he scored for each club, season, and competition.