Phil Neal facts for kids
Neal in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 February 1951 | ||
| Place of birth | Irchester, Northamptonshire, England | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Full-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1968–1974 | Northampton Town | 187 | (28) |
| 1974–1985 | Liverpool | 455 | (41) |
| 1985–1989 | Bolton Wanderers | 64 | (3) |
| Total | 706 | (72) | |
| National team | |||
| 1976–1983 | England | 50 | (5) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1985–1992 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| 1993–1995 | Coventry City | ||
| 1996 | Cardiff City | ||
| 1996 | Manchester City (caretaker) | ||
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Philip George Neal (born 20 February 1951) is a famous English former football player. He played as a full-back for teams like Northampton Town, Liverpool, and Bolton Wanderers. Many people think he is one of the most successful English players ever.
During his eleven years at Liverpool, he won many important trophies. These included eight First Division titles, four League Cups, five FA Charity Shields, and four European Cups. He also won one UEFA Cup and one UEFA Super Cup.
After his playing career, Phil Neal became a manager. He managed Bolton Wanderers and helped them win the Football League Trophy. He also managed Coventry City, Cardiff City, and was a temporary manager for Manchester City.
Phil Neal also played for the England national team 50 times. He played in the 1982 World Cup. Later, he became an assistant manager for England. At Liverpool, his nickname was Zico, like the famous Brazilian player. This showed how good he was at scoring important goals. His son, Ashley Neal, also became a footballer.
Contents
Phil Neal's Football Journey
Starting His Playing Career
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Phil Neal started playing football at Wellingborough Town. In 1967, he joined Northampton Town. He played 187 games for them.
On 9 October 1974, Liverpool manager Bob Paisley signed him for £66,000. Paisley wanted Neal to replace an older player, so he first played as a left-back. But Phil Neal became famous for his hard work and energy as a right-back.
Neal played his first game for Liverpool on 16 November 1974. It was a big game against Everton at Goodison Park, and it ended 0–0. His first goal for Liverpool came almost a year later, on 4 November 1975. He scored in a UEFA Cup game where Liverpool beat Real Sociedad 6–0.
Winning European Cups with Liverpool
Phil Neal scored an important penalty goal in the 1977 European Cup Final. Liverpool won that game 3–1 against Borussia Mönchengladbach in Rome. It was Liverpool's first time winning the European Cup.
He also played in the winning European Cup finals in 1978 and 1981. Liverpool beat Club Brugge and Real Madrid in those games. In the 1984 final against A.S. Roma, he scored in the first half. The game ended 1–1, and Liverpool won after a penalty shootout. Neal scored Liverpool's first penalty in that shootout.
Phil Neal was the only player to play in all four of Liverpool's European Cup wins in the 1970s and 1980s. This shows how important he was to the team's success.
Liverpool's Most Successful Player
During his eleven years at Liverpool, Phil Neal won many trophies. He won eight First Division titles, four League Cups, and five FA Charity Shields. He also won four European Cups, one UEFA Cup, and one UEFA Super Cup. This makes him one of the most successful English players ever.
He was a regular player for Liverpool for many seasons. He played 366 league matches in a row. This is a club record and one of the longest streaks in English football history. This amazing run lasted from December 1974 until September 1983.
In 1985, after 11 years, Neal left Liverpool. He joined Bolton Wanderers as a player-manager. He stopped playing football in 1989. By then, he had played over 700 league games and earned 50 caps for England.
Phil Neal as a Manager
In December 1985, Phil Neal became the player-manager of Bolton Wanderers. He managed the club for seven years. In 1989, he led Bolton to win the Football League Trophy.
However, the club later went down to the Fourth Division, which was the lowest league they had been in. They quickly won promotion back to the Third Division the next season. They almost got promoted again in 1990 and 1991 but didn't quite make it. In 1992, he was let go from Bolton.
Neal became manager of Coventry City in October 1993. His first game was a tough 5–1 loss. But his team played much better in the second half of the season and finished 11th in the Premier League. This was their best finish in years. A great win during this time was a 4–0 victory over Manchester City.
In the 1994–95 season, Coventry struggled. Even with a new striker, Dion Dublin, they were still near the bottom of the league. Neal was sacked in February 1995, even though they had just won a game.
He then managed Cardiff City in 1996. Later that year, he became assistant manager at Manchester City. When the manager left, Neal was a temporary manager for a short time. He also worked as an assistant manager for Peterborough United for a while.
Phil Neal has also played for and coached the Liverpool masters team, which was very successful in the Sky Sports Masters series.
Phil Neal in the Media
In recent years, Phil Neal has worked as a football expert for TV and radio. He shares his knowledge and opinions about football games.
He has also written two books about his life in football. The first was called Attack from the Back (1981), and the second was Life at the Kop (1986).
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Liverpool
- Football League First Division: 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86
- Football League Cup: 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84
- FA Charity Shield: 1976, 1977 (shared), 1979, 1980, 1982
- European Cup: 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1983–84
- UEFA Cup: 1975–76
- UEFA Super Cup: 1977
- Football League Super Cup: 1986
- FA Cup runner-up: 1976–77
As a Manager
Bolton Wanderers
- Football League Trophy: 1988–89
Images for kids
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Phil Neal (right) playing in a match in 1981.
See also
In Spanish: Phil Neal para niños
