Neal Ardley
Encyclopedia
Neal Christopher Ardley (born 1 September 1972 in Epsom
) is an English
former professional footballer who played either as a right-back or right midfielder. He was capped at Under-21
level by England.
Ardley spent the majority of his career with Wimbledon
, making his debut for them on 20 April 1991 at the age of 18 in a 2–1 away win over Aston Villa
in the Football League First Division
. He made eight league appearances in 1991–92
, and became a regular player in 1992–93
, playing 26 games and scoring four goals in the first season of the FA Premier League
as the Dons finished 12th. They finished sixth (a joint club record) in 1993–94
, but Ardley's contribution was more limited as he managed just 16 games (scoring once). He was in and out of the side for nearly a decade afterwards, remaining with the Dons after their relegation at the end of 1999–2000
. Two more seasons followed as he unsuccessfully tried to help them regain their Premier League place, beforer signing for Division One rivals Watford
on a free transfer on 9 August 2002.
He had played a total of 245 league games for the Dons, scoring 18 goals. He was their longest serving player by the time of his departure. His best campaign was arguably the 1996–97
season, where he missed just four league games, helped the Dons reach the semi-finals of both domestic cups, and oversaw an excellent season in the league where they were rarely out of the top five until having to settle for eighth place in the final table.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=38071
He played for the Hornets for three seasons, making appearances an FA Cup
semi final in 2003 and a League Cup
semi-final in 2005.
He joined Cardiff City
in March 2005, a day before the sacking of Watford manager Ray Lewington. He scored his first and only goal for Cardiff against Leicester City on 19 April 2005. He joined Millwall
for the 2006–07
season, his last professional season.
Ardley announced his retirement from professional football on 30 August 2007 after a series of injuries. The same day he was appointed as manager of the Cardiff City academy
.
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former professional footballer who played either as a right-back or right midfielder. He was capped at Under-21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
level by England.
Ardley spent the majority of his career with Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, making his debut for them on 20 April 1991 at the age of 18 in a 2–1 away win over Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in the Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. He made eight league appearances in 1991–92
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
, and became a regular player in 1992–93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
, playing 26 games and scoring four goals in the first season of the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
as the Dons finished 12th. They finished sixth (a joint club record) in 1993–94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
, but Ardley's contribution was more limited as he managed just 16 games (scoring once). He was in and out of the side for nearly a decade afterwards, remaining with the Dons after their relegation at the end of 1999–2000
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
. Two more seasons followed as he unsuccessfully tried to help them regain their Premier League place, beforer signing for Division One rivals Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on a free transfer on 9 August 2002.
He had played a total of 245 league games for the Dons, scoring 18 goals. He was their longest serving player by the time of his departure. His best campaign was arguably the 1996–97
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
season, where he missed just four league games, helped the Dons reach the semi-finals of both domestic cups, and oversaw an excellent season in the league where they were rarely out of the top five until having to settle for eighth place in the final table.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=38071
He played for the Hornets for three seasons, making appearances an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi final in 2003 and a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
semi-final in 2005.
He joined Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in March 2005, a day before the sacking of Watford manager Ray Lewington. He scored his first and only goal for Cardiff against Leicester City on 19 April 2005. He joined Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
for the 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season, his last professional season.
Ardley announced his retirement from professional football on 30 August 2007 after a series of injuries. The same day he was appointed as manager of the Cardiff City academy
Cardiff City F.C. Academy
The Cardiff City F.C. Academy is the youth academy currently set up at Cardiff City in order to discover and nurture young talent. The academy has a range of players from ages seven to 18.-Information:...
.