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 Full Name: Neil Clement Defender
Date of Birth:
3rd
October 1978
Birthplace:
Reading
Joined
Albion:
23rd March
2000 (On loan from Chelsea),
6th July 2000 from
Chelsea for a
fee of £150,000
Albion
Debut:
25th March 2000,
Manchester
City,
away, League
Division One Contract Expires: Summer 2010
2006/07 Squad Number:
5
Previous Clubs:
Chelsea
--- 1996-2000
Reading --- 1998-99 (On loan
from Chelsea) International Honours: Other Honours:
Biography
Neil, the Son
of the late former QPR and England star Dave
started his career at London giants Chelsea but due to
the quality and size of squad at Stamford Bridge he was always going to
find first team opportunities hard to come by and so it proved.
Signing professional forms at seventeen years of age and making his debut
not long after, Neil looked to have a promising career ahead of him at
Stamford Bridge but after making his debut on 21st December 1996 in a
Premiership game against London rivals West Ham he went on to make just
three more appearances for the club over the next three years, all coming
in cup competitions.
With first team opportunities limited at Chelsea Neil
was loaned out on three occasions. November 1998 saw him move to his
hometown club Reading and during his three months there he made twelve
appearances and scored his first ever league goal. Two months after
returning to Stamford Bridge he was again loaned out, this time to Preston
North End where he got off to a terrible start, getting sent off on his
debut for the club in a game at Colchester. Neil would play just three
more games for the Lilywhites before once again returning to London.
Neil started the 1999/2000 season again out of the
first team picture at Chelsea and in November 1999 was loaned out once
more, this time Brentford. Neil spent six weeks at Griffin Park before
returning and making a rare appearance in the Chelsea first team, playing
in the club's FA Cup victory over Gillingham. That was to be Neil's last
appearance for the Blues, a month later he was on his way to The
Hawthorns, signed by Gary Megson on a loan deal until the end of the
season.
After the successful loan spell ended and with Albion
making it clear they would like to sign him permanently there was a period
of uncertainty about whether Chelsea would be willing to sell him and if
so at what price. Early July saw the two clubs finally reach an agreement
and on July 6 Neil put pen to paper on a deal worth an immediate £100,000
to the London club, with the promise of another £50,000 dependent on
appearances.
Albion Career Season By Season
2004/05
After a poor season during
the club’s previous Premiership campaign Albion fans were wondering if we
would see an improved player this time around. The answer was a most
definite yes.
Neil started the season in
the midfield role that Gary Megson had used him in the previous season and
despite never looking comfortable in that position Neil got his season off
to a fantastic start, scoring in the club’s first two games back in the
Premiership, away at
Blackburn and at home to Aston Villa. Things soon took a turn for the
worse though, during the home game with Fulham on September 18 Neil was sent
off for a professional foul which sparked an ugly brawl with Fulham’s Andy
Cole. Both players were charged with violent conduct and Neil would miss
four games as a result. Those four games would be the only ones Neil would
miss all season. He returned to the team for the two games under caretaker
boss Frank Burrows, again being utilised in midfield but the appointment of
Bryan Robson as the new
Albion boss would be the
turning point not only for the club’s season but Neil’s too.
Robson’s first game in
charge, at home to Middlesbrough saw Neil return to his familiar left-back
role and he would stay in that role until the away game at Manchester City
on December 28. He was once again switched to a midfield role although due
to Thomas Gaardsoe’s early sending off in the game he found himself moved
back into the centre of defence, a position in which he would stay for the
remainder of the season. Looking far more comfortable in what after all is
his preferred position Neil put in a number of fine performances although at
times still made the odd mistake, fortunately for Neil and the club these
would not prove costly as the club went onto avoid relegation. Neil was
linked with a move away from the club to Crystal Palace during the January
transfer window but would eventually go on to sign a new five deal at The
Hawthorns sparking claims by Palace chairman Simon Jordan that the player
had used Palace as a means of clinching a new contract. 2003/04 Back in the Nationwide league Neil
was expected to once again produce the form that Albion fans had become
used to before Albion's ill-fated Premiership campaign. He started the
season in the team and as first choice despite the loan signing of Senegal
international left-back Alassane N'Dour but would lose his first team
place when Watford left-back Paul Robinson joined the club in October.
Neil would make just a handful of appearances during the remainder of the
year but found himself back in the team at the turn of the year, although
in an unfamiliar midfield role. Neil never really looked comfortable in
this new position and as the season progressed found himself in and out of
the team more and more. 2002/03 After an excellent 2001/02 season
hopes were high that Neil would go on and prove himself at Premiership
level but it was not to be. He never looked comfortable against the better
quality players he found himself up against although he did only miss four
league games all season, losing his place briefly to on-loan Nigerian
defender Iffy Udeze. Although Neil did chip in with three league goals he
was guilty of being at fault for a number of goals Albion conceded. All in
all a season to forget for both Albion and Neil. 2001/02 Neil started the season with a
bang, scoring an unstoppable free-kick on the opening day of the season in
the club's 2-1 defeat at Walsall. Despite this stuttering start by the
team the season would turn out to be a success for both the club and Neil.
He missed just one game all season and scored eight goals as the club went
on to pip arch-rivals Wolves to promotion to the Premiership. Neil's goal
tally would have been even more impressive but for missing three penalties
during the campaign. He was the centre of speculation linking him with a
move away from the club for a large part of the season with Blackburn
Rovers reportedly having a £2 million bid turned down in December. Along
with team mates Russell Hoult and Darren Moore, Neil was named in the
PFA's Division One team of the year. 2000/01 Neil was a revelation in his first
full season at the club, missing just one league game as Albion made the
play-offs. The season also saw him score his first Albion goal, coming in
the club's 2-1 Worthington Cup victory at then Premiership side Derby
County in September, ironically Neil would score again in the return leg
just one week later. He ended up with seven goals for the season and
showed for the first time his ability from free-kicks. Neil capped a fine
season for himself by being awarded the club's Player of the Year award. 1999/2000 Neil was one of four players
signed by Gary Megson on transfer deadline day, Thursday, March 23 and he
was one of five players to make their Albion debut two days later at
Manchester City. It was a bold move by Megson to make such wholesale
changes and it would ultimately turn out a successful move. Albion went on
to avoid relegation thanks to a last day victory over Charlton Athletic at
The Hawthorns, Neil setting up one of the goals. Neil showed signs of
promise during his eight game loan spell but clearly was suffering from a
lack of match practice. Albion Stats Appearances & Discipline:
Goals:
Appearances and
goals are
correct up to and including v Southampton, Coca-Cola
Championship, away, 12/08/06. |
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