New Zealand footballer
Fergus Neil (born February 12, 1992) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a defender for Napier City Rovers.
Club career
Early career
Neil was a product of the youth systems of Napier City Rovers and Hawke's Bay United.[1] In 2009, he was elevated to Hawke's Bay's senior team and competed in the New Zealand Football Championship for the 2009–10 season.[2] In his debut season in the country's top-tier league, he appeared in 6 matches.[3] In 2011, he ventured abroad where he had a brief stint in the lower English circuits with Slough Town and Alresford Town.[4] Following his stint abroad, he returned to Hawke's Bay for the 2011–10 season.[5] In 2013, he would miss the majority of the season, as he required surgery for a broken jaw.[6]
Canada
In the summer of 2014, he played in the Canadian Soccer League with Kingston FC.[7][8][9] Neil would help Kingston secure a playoff berth by finishing third in the league's first division.[10] Ultimately, Kingston would reach the semifinal round where they were eliminated from the competition by Toronto Croatia.[11]
New Zealand
After his spell abroad in the Canadian circuit, he returned to New Zealand to sign with league rivals WaiBOP United.[12][13][14] In his debut season with the club, he appeared in 16 matches and scored 2 goals.[3]
The next season he signed with another league rival Team Wellington.[15][16] In his debut season with the club, he helped the club defeat Auckland City for the championship title.[15] He also participated in the 2016 OFC Champions League, where he was featured in the tournament final against Auckland and was defeated.[17] In total, he would play in 5 matches in the continental tournament.[3]
Hawke's Bay
Neil would return to his former club Hawke's Bay in 2016.[18] Following his stint in the country's top league, he left Hawke's Bay to play in the Central League with Napier City Rovers in 2017.[19] In early 2019, Napier Rovers named him the team's captain.[20] Throughout the 2019 season, he would help the Rovers claim the 2019 Chatham Cup.[21][22]
In late 2019, he returned to the New Zealand first division with his former club Hawke's Bay.[23] In his final season with Hawke's Bay, he served as the co-captain.[24] He would appear in 12 matches.[3] After the restructuring of the country's football system, he returned to the Central League in 2021 to his former club Napier City.[25]
References
External links