Neal Eardley

Neal James Eardley (born 6 November 1988) is a Wales international footballer who plays for Cymru Premier champions Connah’s Quay Nomads. He represented Wales at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, before winning the first of his 16 senior caps in August 2007.

He began his career at Oldham Athletic, and made his first team debut in May 2006. He turned professional four months later and quickly became a regular first team player before he was named in the 2008–09 League One PFA Team of the Year. He was signed by Blackpool in August 2009 for a reported fee of £350,000. Blackpool were promoted out of the Championship via the play-offs in 2010, and he played 31 Premier League matches in their 2010–11 relegation campaign. He spent a further two seasons at Blackpool, before he moved on to Birmingham City in July 2013. He struggled with injuries throughout his three-year stay at Birmingham, playing just 21 matches, as well as one appearance on loan at Leyton Orient in January 2015. He joined Scottish club Hibernian on a short-term deal in September 2016, and then returned to England to play for Northampton Town in January 2017. He signed a short-term contract with Lincoln City in August 2017. On 4 August 2020, Eardley signed for League One Burton Albion. He was released at the end of the 2020–21 season.

Club Career

Oldham Athletic

Born in Llandudno, Eardley graduated from the youth system at Oldham Athletic to make his first team debut under Ronnie Moore in a 1–1 draw with Scunthorpe United at Boundary Park on 6 May 2006. In the 2006–07 season, Eardley became a regular starter under new manager John Sheridan, initially starting in a more attacking role before being shifted to defence. However, his season got off to a rough start, when he was sent off in the opening game on 5 August shortly after teammate Chris Taylor was also red carded, as Oldham lost 1–0 to Tranmere Rovers.

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