Phil Neal
Philip " Phil" George Neal ( born February 20, 1951 in Irchester / Northamptonshire, England ) is an English former football player and was a full-back is the only player in the ranks of FC Liverpool, in the first five finals of the European Cup of Champions, the could reach Liverpool, was used.
Sports career
Neal scored one goal from the penalty spot in the first final of the national champion competition with Liverpool's participation in 1977 against Borussia Mönchengladbach in Rome and thus helped the club to the first win of the highest European club trophy in its own history. Even in the subsequent successes in 1978 and 1981, when in the final of both the FC Bruges and Real Madrid were beaten 1-0 each, Neal was in the Liverpool team.
During the fourth playoff participation in 1984 Neal scored again out a hit, in this case from the free play, the match against AS Roma ended after the end of normal time and 1-1 after penalty shoot-out in Liverpool found its winner. The following year, he missed by a 0:1 in a result of the disaster at Heysel Stadium in the 39 followers of Juventus were killed and a long Liverpool lock in European club football meant unimportant become final against Juventus fifth title win European national champion competition.
Neal was, until 2005, when Liverpool won the Champions League, the only player in rows of the association who has participated in all the finals of the competition for the club and was involved in all title wins.
Neal joined Liverpool in 1974, after he had been active for a long time in the lower English leagues for Northampton Town. He was the first commitment of coach Bob Paisley, who was looking for a replacement for the outdated Years Chris Lawler. Although he first completed a few games on the left, he should make more later as physically strong and hardworking rights defenders a name.
He won his first of seven 1976 British Championships, together with the UEFA Cup. The following year, he was among the team that sought a unique triple of championship, FA Cup and European national champion. After the Cup was successfully defended, but Liverpool lost the FA Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley. Despite this disappointment, the team recovered well and won only a short time later, the first European country Champions Trophy.
As he had shown by his late goal in the European Cup final, Neal was a good penalty taker and had assumed this role since the previous season etat either, though he also missed a penalty in the emotionally charged Merseyside derby against Everton. Because of this role, he increased the tally during his Liverpool career on 60 hits, which would otherwise have been unusually high for a defensive player to his playing style.
In 1978, Liverpool lost with Neal the finals in the League Cup against Nottingham Forest, however, defended the European title. Only a year later, Liverpool again won the English championship and repeated this success in 1980. The League Cup trophy then followed in 1981, together with the third European country champion trophy. The League Cup then defended the club in the next two years and this crowned each by winning the English Championship.
In all this time, Neal did not miss a single League game for his club and completed 1975-1983 365 games in series and had to stop due to an injury on a game afterwards.
In 1984, Liverpool won with Neal the fourth European country championship, again the championship and the League Cup could be added. Neal was still regular players throughout the season and was named after the departure of Graeme Souness to Sampdoria coach Joe Fagan to the team captain.
The subsequent season was, however, unhappy and Liverpool remained, the year after the Heysel disaster and with considerably bruised reputation, without title. Fagan stepped back then as a coach and Neal lost his captaincy under new manager Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen the preferred.
Neal started the season on his ancestral position, however, was soon replaced by Steve Nicol, a young Scottish defender. A short time later, Neal then left after 11 years at Anfield the club to work at Bolton Wanderers as player-coach. As Liverpool then won the championship again in 1986, Neal received, due to the completed early season games, his eighth medal. However, the benefit of the FA Cup by Liverpool in the same year represented a certain bitter irony for Neal, because this trophy that Liverpool in front of Neal's obligation and the year after Neal's departure could win, was never won by Neal himself.
He finished his football career in 1989 after more than 700 missions and 50 league appearances for England between 1976 and 1983, in which five goals reach him. Only Gary Neville was used more frequently on the right -back position.
Neal left Bolton to another trainer years and was Kotrainer under Graham Taylor for the English national team. In this winning not successful cooperation, particularly the lack of enforcement power Neals and the lack of their own views against Taylor was criticized. This was especially evident in a documentary by Channel 4, the broadcaster will broadcast after the non qualification for the 1994 World Cup in the United States and the subsequent resignation of Taylor. Neal was in the future at a public object of derision, although he continued to work as a coach. He spent two seasons at Coventry City and was then still active when Cardiff City and Manchester City.
In the recent past, Neal appeared primarily as a football expert on various television and radio programs.
Achievements
- European Cup Winners ' Cup: 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984
- UEFA Cup winners: 1976
- English Champion: 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, (1986 )
- English League Cup winners: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984
- Community Shield Winner: 1976, 1977 *, 1979, 1980, 1982 * ( shared title )