The news we were all expecting finally arrived today when the club announced that former team captain Dan Neil was leaving to join Ipswich Town on loan, until his contract ends at the end of the season. There he will be reunited with former Sunderland winger Jack Clarke.
Since promotion, there has been a lot of sympathy shown to Dan because of his lack of game time this season. Sadly for him, the signing of Granit Xhaka was to do for him. When Xhaka’s signing was announced, it was also announced that
he would be taking up the captain’s armband; it was possibly implicit in that statement that Dan Neil’s days were numbered.
Added to that was his contract situation, in which it was rumoured that he was stalling. Let’s be honest: if he had signed a new contract, he may well have got more game time. Why would Régis Le Bris play someone and bring them on when they have shown little interest in staying? Now, it’s just getting him off the books.
That’s the harsh world of football we live in. You could say also that Dennis Cirkin is in a similar situation, but luckily for him, he didn’t have Granit Xhaka playing in his position, and AFCON took away the guy ahead of him in the pecking order, leaving the chance for him to stake his claim in December. Which he took with both hands.
Having said all of that, there is no doubt that the way Neil has held himself since the summer has been that of the consummate professional, with teammates taking to social media to extol his virtues.
Jobe Bellingham, Trai Hume (who he hilariously pranked on a phone call in a Northern Ireland FA video), Dan Ballard, Wilson Isidor and Luke O’Nien — to name but a few. Notably, all those who were here last season.
Still, to represent your boyhood club — the club you were famously photographed cheering on at Wembley in 2014 — is a phenomenal achievement.
Dan Neil was a superb captain last season, galvanising the team to win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs. Giving us all memories we will never forget.
Also remember those goals at Swansea and Boro. One which sticks in my mind is the one which put us 2-0 up against Burnley in October 2022.
Typical midfielder-piledriver goals.
Dan leaves with more than a hint of sadness that it had to be this way, but what he achieved for us will never be forgotten by us fans. But you know what they say: it’s dangerous to fall in love, because inevitably one party will be broken-hearted at some stage in the future.
Let’s remember the top bloke he is and wish him all the best for the future and hope that our paths will cross again one day.
