Alan Neilson

• Full name: Alan Mark Neilson
• Date of birth: 26 September 1972
• Place of birth: Swansea, Wales
• Nationality: Welsh
• Position: Defender (primarily centre-back)

Club career highlights

• Newcastle United — Began his professional career in the early 1990s after progressing through the youth system; made first-team appearances for Newcastle United.
• Exeter City (loan) — Had a loan spell to gain first-team experience.
• Southampton — Joined Southampton in 1998. Played as a central defender for the Saints in the Premier League and contributed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
• Loan moves and later clubs — Later in his career he had loan spells and moved on to other clubs, including loan time at Grimsby Town and a move to Weymouth among others as his playing career wound down.

International career

• Represented Wales at youth levels, though he did not earn a large number of senior caps for the Wales national team.

After playing

• Moved into coaching and coaching support roles after retiring as a player, working with youth teams and serving in coaching capacities at clubs he was involved with.

Notable traits

• Reliable central defender known for his reading of the game and experience across English leagues.