Lucas Neill – Captain of West Ham United F.C.
Lucas Neill – West Ham United Football Club – Captain and Defender
Lucas Edward Neill (born 9 March 1978 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) player who is the captain of West Ham United, and most often plays at right back or centre-back. He is a regular member of the Australian national team and was a member of the Australian squad which competed in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Personal information
Full name : Lucas Edward Neill
Date of birth : 9 March 1978 (1978-03-09) (age 30)
Place of birth : Sydney, Australia
Height : 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position : Centre Back, Right Back, Captain
Club information : West Ham United
League : Barclays English Premier League Football Club
West Ham United Football ClubHowever in January 2007 Neill turned his back on a un-confirmed bid from Liverpool in favour of West Ham United. The deal was confirmed on 20 January and was formally completed on 23 January following the successful transfer of Stephen Warnock from Liverpool to Blackburn. Neill was accused of his primary motivating factor being money, but he later refuted these claims, stating the move was for purely footballing reasons [11]. Neill later alleged to the media that Liverpool hadn’t made him feel truly wanted, and that he had not even spoken to manager Rafael Benitez. However, media reports suggested that Neill had signed for West Ham on a basic salary of £60,000 per week, double what Liverpool were said to have offered, and that Neill might have spoken to Benitez [12].
On 10 February, 2007 Neill played his first Premiership match for Hammers against Watford, where he picked up a knee injury. [13]
On 4 March 2007 he captained the team for the first time during a 3-4 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur and went on to play every remaining game of the season. His passionate, attacking style of play quickly won over those sceptical about his motives at the club, though he continued to be criticised outside of the club. Eventually he played a key part in West Ham’s escape from relegation that had looked likely when he arrived.
It was announced by West Ham United on 27 July 2007 that Neill had been awarded the permanent position of team captain following Nigel Reo-Coker’s transfer to Aston Villa.[14] Neill made his first appearance as team captain in the 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic on 25 August 2007.[15]
Neill scored his first goal for West Ham in the 3-2 away defeat to West Brom on 14 September 2008
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