Neil MacKenzie

Stoke City

MacKenzie began his career at Stoke City, signing as a trainee in 1996. He made his senior debut in a First Division clash with Portsmouth on 26 October 1996, replacing Kevin Keen in stoppage time. He won his first senior start on 29 January 1997, playing in a 2–1 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers. Ten days later, he scored his first competitive goal, bagging the opening goal of a 2–1 win over Oxford United at the Victoria Ground. In all he played 23 games in his maiden season for the club. He played 14 games in the 1997–98 relegation season, including a heavy 7–0 defeat at home to Birmingham City on 10 January. He played just six Second Division games in 1998–99.

Cambridge United

Neil was loaned out in March of that year to Cambridge. Playing in four games and scoring one goal, he played a small part in the club's Third Division promotion campaign. He had impressed so much on his loan spell that Cambridge purchased him from the "Potters" for a £40,000 fee at the beginning of the 1999–2000 campaign. He made 27 appearances for the "U's" that season.

Kidderminster Harriers

Cambridge sacked him due to "persistent misconduct" in November 2000; this followed an incident at the club's sporting dinner which left him facing a public order offence in court. Following this he dropped back into the basement division to sign for Kidderminster Harriers. He played 23 league games in what was the "Harriers" first season of the league football.

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Mackenzie made history by becoming the first professional footballer to be a contestant on the Channel 4 show Countdown. His debut was broadcast on 30 June 2008, which he won by 71–61 on a crucial Conundrum. He won four further matches, and appeared on course to become an 'Octochamp' (winning the maximum of eight heats) before losing on his sixth appearance. He appeared in the series quarter-finals on 8 December but lost to the eventual winner Junaid Mubeen and was therefore eliminated. He won a crystal vase for his efforts. Tamworth teammate Bradley Pritchard described veteran MacKenzie as acting the "youngest out of all of us" and as being "by far the funniest person I've been out with".

Cambridge United

Football League Third Division second-place promotion: 1998–99 Scunthorpe United

Football League One: 2006–07 Halesowen Town

Northern Premier League Division One South: 2013–14