Born in Chatham, Kent, Neil Shipperley made his name as a powerhouse striker with a reputation for a strong game with his back to goal. He started his career with Chelsea in 1991 and since then accumulated a vast amount of experience playing throughout England.

Southampton manager Alan Ball signed Neil in 1995 for a record fee of £1.25 million. He scored four goals in 19 league games as the Saints finished 10th in his first league season. In the 1995-96 season, under new manager Dave Merrington, Neil helped the Saints reach the FA Cup Quarter Final and was their joint top scorer. The highlight for him was getting on the score sheet in a 3-1 beating of Manchester United, before securing a £1 million move away from the Dell to Division One promotion contenders Crystal Palace.

At Selhurst Park, Neil aided Palace in winning promotion to the Premier League in the 1996/97 season. Neil’s next move was to sign for Barnsley, where he enjoyed one of his best goal scoring records, netting 31 goals from 88 appearances in two seasons.

In 2002, Neil transferred to Wimbledon, where he formed a strong partnership with David Connolly, producing nearly 50 goals. The club, however, fell into administration and in the 2003/04 season Neil decided to reform his affiliations with Crystal Palace and help revive the club.

He played a vital role, captaining the side to promotion to the top division, scoring in both the semi-final against Sunderland and the bagging the winning goal against West Ham in the final. Neil subsequently enjoyed spells with Sheffield United and Brentford before hanging up his boots in 2007.

Neil currently manages the Walton Casuals in the Ryman South Division One, as he looks to build on his coaching qualifications and develop his understanding of the managerial side of the game.