Neal as a Port Vale player in April 2013.
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Christopher Michael Neal | ||
Date of birth | 23 October 1985 | ||
Place of birth | St Albans, England | ||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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Fleetwood Town | ||
Number | 1 | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2004–2009 | Preston North End | 1 | (0) |
2005 | → Tamworth (loan) | 5 | (0) |
2006 | → Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2007 | → Morecambe (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2009–2012 | Shrewsbury Town | 64 | (0) |
2012–2016 | Port Vale | 123 | (0) |
2016 | → Doncaster Rovers (loan) | 2 | (0) |
2016 | → Bury (loan) | 10 | (0) |
2016– | Fleetwood Town | 20 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 7 January 2018 (UTC). |
Christopher Michael Neal (born 23 October 1985) is an English football goalkeeper who plays for EFL League One club Fleetwood Town.
He began his career at Preston North End, making his English Football League debut in February 2005, having previously impressed in a brief loan spell at Conference club Tamworth. He had short loan spells at Shrewsbury Town and Morecambe in the 2006–07 season as a covering player, before he was signed by Shrewsbury Town permanently in July 2009. He was the club's regular custodian as promotion to League One was achieved in 2011–12. He joined Port Vale in July 2012, and helped the club to secure promotion out of League Two in 2012–13. He joined Doncaster Rovers on loan in February 2016, and then Bury the following month. He joined Fleetwood Town on a free transfer in May 2016.
Neal began his career at Preston North End, signing professional forms under Billy Davies at the start of the 2004–05 season. He went on loan to Conference club Tamworth in January 2005. He made his debut for the "Lambs" on 8 January, in a 4–3 defeat to Aldershot Town at the Recreation Ground. He kept a clean sheet on his debut at The Lamb Ground 16 days later, as Tamworth recorded a 1–0 win over Accrington Stanley; during the game he was credited with making a "brilliant" save. He played a total of six games for Mark Cooper's side, before returning to Preston in February. He made his first and only appearance for the "Lilywhites" on 18 February, as Gavin Ward was forced to leave the field 83 minutes into a 1–1 draw with Ipswich Town in a Championship fixture at Deepdale. At the end of the season Chester City and Tamworth attempted to sign him on loan, but both clubs were unsuccessful. He was linked to a move to Oldham Athletic in July 2006, but again no move materialized.