Neil Aspin

Neil Aspin (born 12 April 1965) is an English football manager and former player.

A defender who could play at centre-back and right-back, he was a marker and an tackler.

Leeds were relegated out of the First Division at the end of the 1981–82 season.

He made his debut in the English Football League for Leeds United at the age of 16 in February 1982, which would be his only appearance in the First Division (first tier).

He became the second youngest ever débutante for the club, behind Peter Lorimer, when he played in a 2–0 defeat to Ipswich Town at Elland Road on 20 February 1982 at the age of 16 years, 10 months and 9 days; he was selected by manager Allan Clarke due to suspension to Kenny Burns and injuries to Trevor Cherry, Brian Greenhoff and Neil Firm.

He was the subject of a documentary in the Rowan's Report series, aired on ITV on 9 August 1982, a series which focused on some of the country's most successful children.

He signed professionally at the age of 17.

Aspin made his second appearance for the "Whites" on 4 December 1982, in a 1–0 home defeat by Queens Park Rangers, his first start under new manager Eddie Gray.

He went on to make a further 14 Second Division appearances during the 1982–83 season, with the club posting an eighth-place finish in their first season back in the second tier for 19 years.

He featured 26 times throughout the 1983–84 season and 33 times in the 1984–85 campaign, scoring his second goal career at Carlisle United; he was voted the club's Player of the Year in 1985.

He spent seven seasons in the Second Division (second tier) with the club, making 244 league and cup appearances and being named as the club's Player of the Year for the 1984–85 season.

Aspin scored his first senior goal on 17 March 1984, helping to secure a 2–1 home win over Grimsby Town.

He posted 42 appearances in the 1985–86 campaign, scoring in away wins at Stoke City and Bradford City, though Leeds slipped down to 14th in the table as new manager Billy Bremner started to rebuild the team.

United came close to promotion in the 1986–87 season, with Aspin missing only one league game to make a total of 54 league and cup appearances and scoring goals against Oldham Athletic and Shrewsbury Town; Leeds secured a play-off place with a fourth-place finish, but lost 2–1 to Charlton Athletic in the play-off final replay at St Andrew's.

He featured 30 times during the 1987–88 season and 39 times in the 1988–89 campaign, before he was allowed to leave the club by new manager Howard Wilkinson after losing his place to new signing Mel Sterland.

He was sold to Port Vale for a £150,000 fee in July 1989, and would go on to make 410 appearances in all competitions during a ten-season stay at Vale Park.

He was named as the club's Player of the Year in the 1989–90 season and helped the "Valiants" to win the Football League Trophy in 1993.

He was sold to Port Vale for a £150,000 fee in July 1989, choosing the Midlands club ahead of a move to London-based Charlton Athletic.

Port Vale were preparing for their first Second Division campaign in 32 years when Aspin arrived at the club.

He played 51 games in the 1989–90 season, as the club recorded an eleventh-place finish.

He immediately established himself as a firm favourite with the supporters at Vale Park, taking the club's player of the year award at the end of the campaign.

He was also entrusted with the club's captaincy.

He played 46 games in the 1990–91 season, and scored his first goal for the "Valiants" in a 3–2 win over Portsmouth on 19 January.

He was consistent again in the relegation season of 1991–92, making another 46 appearances.

The following season, 1993–94, he was named on the PFA Team of the Year as he helped Vale to win promotion out of the Second Division (third tier), and he again won the Port Vale Player of the Year award.

He also played in the 1996 Anglo-Italian Cup final defeat to Genoa.

He spent July 1999 to January 2001 with Third Division (fourth tier) side Darlington and then spent the second half of the 2000–01 season at Hartlepool United.

He played in play-off final defeats with Leeds, Port Vale and Darlington.

He played non-League football at Harrogate Town until retiring as a player in 2004, and then managed the club from January 2005 to April 2009.

He was appointed as manager of FC Halifax Town in April 2009.

He managed Halifax to three successive promotions in his first four seasons at the club, taking them from the second tier of the Northern Premier League to the Conference Premier by winning the Northern Premier League Division One North and Premier Division titles in 2009–10 and 2010–11 and then the Conference North play-offs in 2013; he also won the Peter Swales Shield in 2011 and the West Riding County Cup in 2013, as well as numerous Manager of the Month awards.

John Sheridan had put Leeds ahead in extra time, only for Peter Shirtliff to score in the 113th and 117th minutes to deny United a return to the top tier.

This followed disappointment in the FA Cup, where Leeds had reached the semi-finals, only to suffer defeat to Coventry City at Hillsborough, again in extra time.

Aspin played in the game after he postponed his wedding, which had been scheduled to take place on the day of the semi-final.

However, he was sacked in September 2015 after a series of poor results, and two months later took charge at Gateshead.

He spent two years at Gateshead, before he was installed as Port Vale manager in October 2017.

He steered the club away from relegation at the end of the 2017–18 season before tendering his resignation in January 2019.

Born in Gateshead, County Durham, Aspin began his career as a trainee at Leeds United, a club he supported as a boy despite its distance from his hometown.

He signed with the club as a schoolboy at the age of 14 and became an apprentice at age 16.

He attended Heathfield Senior High School and won Durham County Schools honours and had trials for England Schoolboys.