Neil Heaney

Neil Andrew Heaney was born in Middlesbrough on 3 November 1971. He played football for Teesside schools before being signed by London club Arsenal on schoolboy forms in January 1987. While still at school, he was part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1987–88, and he turned professional in November 1989. After spells on loan at Hartlepool United and Cambridge United, he made his Arsenal debut as a substitute against Sheffield United on 18 April 1992. A winger with considerable pace, he was on the fringes of the Arsenal first team over the next two seasons, before being sold by George Graham to Southampton for £300,000 in March 1994. He made eight senior appearances for Arsenal without scoring. He became Alan Ball's third signing for the Saints (just before the transfer deadline) and scored his first goal against Newcastle United on 22 March 1995. Saints had failed to win a game since before Christmas and had dropped into 20th place, just above the relegation zone. Heaney came on as a substitute with Saints 1–0 down, and with four minutes left he prodded home a loose ball after a save by Pavel Srníček from Gordon Watson's header. Watson and Neil Shipperley completed the scoring to see Saints run out unlikely 3–1 winners. Saints then managed to climb up the table to finish in 10th place. According to Holley & Chalk, Heaney "had the ability and pace to turn matches, but could frustrate with a tendency to run up blind alleys." Heaney made 61 league appearances for…

After retiring, Heaney left football and became CEO of Judicare, an English firm of solicitors that deals with international legal issues and is known particularly for recovering monies invested into problematic property abroad, based partly on his own problems investing in Spanish property.

Arsenal

FA Youth Cup: 1988 The Football Combination: 1990 Charlton Athletic

Football League First Division play-offs: 1998 Individual

PFA Team of the Year: 1999–2000 Third Division