Neil Adams (soccer player)

Neil Adams
Personnel
Surname	Neil James Adams
birthday	November 23, 1965
place of birth	Stoke-on-Trent ,  England
size	173 cm
position	Winger (right)
Men's
Years	station	Games (goals) 1
1985-1986	Stoke City	32 0(4)
1986-1989	Everton FC	20 0(0)
1989	→  Oldham Athletic  (loan)	9 0(0)
1989-1994	Oldham Athletic	129 (23)
1994-1999	Norwich City	182 (25)
1999-2001	Oldham Athletic	47 0(4)
National team
Years	selection	Games (goals)
1986	England U-21	1 0(0)
Stations as a trainer
Years	station
2014-2015	Norwich City
1 Only league games are given.

Neil James Adams (born November 23, 1965 in Stoke-on-Trent ) is a retired English football player . The right winger won the English Championship with Everton in 1987 and then spent most of his professional career in the service of Oldham Athletic and Norwich City . He was known for his agile style of play, precise flanks and accuracy from the penalty spot.

Athletic career

Stoke & Everton (1985-1989)

Adams' professional career began in the 1985/86 season in the English second division at home in Stoke City . There the right winger came on September 21, 1985 in the game at Charlton Athletic to his league debut and until the end of the 1985/86 season he kept his place in the team. With his agile style of play and precise flanks, he quickly aroused desires for "higher tasks" and even before his first (and only) appointment to the English U-21 team in early September 1986, he was eligible for a transfer fee of 150,000 pounds for the 1986 season 87 moved to the First Division for Everton FC . In the three years for the "Toffees" coached by Howard Kendall , however, he never achieved the hoped-for sporting breakthrough and was in the ranking behind players like Trevor Steven , although he was able to show twelve league appearances in the 1986/87 championship season , which at least gave him brought in an official medal. In the last two years up to the summer of 1989 only eight more championship games followed and shortly after the turn of the year, the club loaned him to the second division Oldham Athletic for the remaining games of the 1988/89 season . At the end of the loan period, the "Latics" under coach Joe Royle were sufficiently convinced and signed him for 100,000 pounds.

Oldham Athletic (1989-1994)

Although Adams did not get beyond the role of supplementary player in his first full season in 1989/90, even in Oldham, and was often only substituted on, in his second year he was an important part of the team that brought about promotion to the first division - the club had previously stayed away from the elite class for 68 years. Another indication of his increasingly important role was his nomination in the starting line-up of the league cup final against Nottingham Forest at the end of April 1990 - the game ended in a 1-0 defeat. In the last English first division season before the introduction of the Premier League, he "shared" the position of the right winger with Roger Palmer depending on the tactical requirements and ultimately secured himself comfortably relegation with his men . In the subsequent Premier League debut season 1992/93 , Adams probably delivered his best performance in his career when he had a significant influence on the right side on the renewed (albeit narrow) relegation and contributed no less than nine goals; these included goals against Liverpool , Everton , Chelsea and especially the 1: 0-winning goal against the eventual champions Manchester United . Oldham Athletic could not prevent relegation in the third year , but Adams was no longer responsible for the decisive phase there either. In early 1994, league rival Norwich City had made an official transfer request and after a negotiation period, Oldham Athletic let him move in mid-February 1994 for £ 250,000.

Norwich City (1994-1999)

In the remaining games of the 1993/94 season, Adams, who had been the first commitment of the new coach John Deehan , still played in 13 league games and helped the club after the first 21 games of the 1994/95 season to a temporary jump on the sixth place before him later Daryl Sutch was preferred more frequently, until finally both actors ever zoom in the preparation and herausrotierten - the end had to Norwich despite the "early highs" in the second division descend . Thanks to his versatility, Adams remained an integral part of the team, although in the 1995/96 season he moved more often to midfield center or even to full defense. Another expression of the offensive strength was his long-range goal in the first game against West Bromwich Albion and a remarkable goal after going it alone on the last day of the derby against Ipswich Town . Adams then achieved his best scoring in the 1996/97 season, in which he only missed one competitive game and scored 16 times. He had also developed from a penalty spot to an expert and converted nine penalty kicks, which prompted new coach Mike Walker to ennoble him as arguably the best penalty taker ever.

In the 1997/98 season, Adams then found it difficult to confirm his previous year's performance, was then moved to midfield center in December 1997 due to a personnel shortage and broke his foot in the same month. As a result, he had to pause until March 1998 and eventually returned to the team against Middlesbrough FC . More bad luck with injuries came in the form of a broken collarbone in August 1998 from the game against Swansea City and another foot injury in February 1999 against Stockport County . In addition, luck left him from the penalty spot and he missed the first penalty of his professional career in the League Cup against Swansea. The contract, which expired in May 1999, was no longer extended by the new coach Bruce Rioch .

Career finale (1999-2001)

Adams returned in July 1999 to Oldham Athletic, which was now relegated to the third division. In the somewhat unusual role of an attacking full-back as "wing-back", he rarely showed his usual strengths, but held this position until February 2000, before an old injury came up again in the game against Bristol Rovers and another operation was necessary after an inserted screw "drilled" itself into the foot. Further adversity came in October 2000 when he fell so badly in the game against Stoke City that his cruciate ligament was affected. Although he briefly fought his way back into the team after recovering, his contract was ultimately not extended for fear of further injury problems. The AFC Rochdale then expressed his interest in signing, but Adams came another change of clubs by his resignation announcement in July 1999 before.

After his active career, Adams took on his first coaching duties in the youth department of Norwich City and mainly looked after the U-14 selection. In addition, with the UEFA A license, he made the necessary coaching license for possible work as head coach of a professional team.

Title / Awards

• English Championship (1): 1987

literature

• Hugman, Barry J .: Premier League: The Players - A Complete Guide to Every Player 1992-93 . Tony Williams Publishing, 1992, ISBN 1-869833-15-5 , pp. 100 .

Web links

• Profile at Norwich City
• Neil Adams in the soccerbase.com database
• Statistical data from the Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database

Individual evidence

1. ^ "England - U-21 International Results 1986–1995 - Details" (RSSSF)
2. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1995-96 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1995, ISBN 0-09-180854-5 , pp. 9 .
3. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1996-97 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1996, ISBN 1-85291-571-4 , pp. 9 .
4. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1997-98 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1997, ISBN 1-85291-581-1 , pp. 9 .
5. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1998-99 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1998, ISBN 1-85291-588-9 , pp. 9 .
6. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 1999-2000 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 1999, ISBN 1-85291-607-9 , pp. 9 .
7. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 2000-2001 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2000, ISBN 1-85291-626-5 , pp. 9 .
8. ↑ Barry J. Hugman (Ed.): The 2001-2002 Official PFA Footballers Factfile . Lennard Queen Anne Press, 2001, ISBN 0-946531-34-X , pp. 9 .