Neil Harris
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Neil Harris born on July 12, 1977 in Orsett Essex England, is a professional footballer who currently plays for Nottingham Forest as a striker.
His football career began at Cambridge City. He was later sold to Millwall for £30,000 on March 26, 1999. In the same season, he was named player of the year for Millwall and later helped them to a Division 2 championship in 2000-01 with a remarkable goal scoring record. Harris was the Golden Boot winner for being the top English goal scorer during the 2000/01 season. By the end of his Millwall career, Harris wasn't being played because the then player-manager Dennis Wise didn't believe he was up to par, and that led him to sign for Cardiff City on loan to prove he was good enough for first team football at Millwall. Unfortunately, Harris was unable to prove himself and was subsequently sold to Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed fee after they were relegated to Football League One in the 2004-05 season. He was unable to make an impact at the City Ground and so was loaned out to Gillingham who had also been relegated to League One at the same time as Nottingham Forest.
He scored 6 goals for Gillingham during his season long loan spell, at the end of which he returned to Forest, hoping to make an impact under new manager Colin Calderwood. Neil's old club Millwall made a loan deal for Harris on a 6 month deal in August 2006, however Harris rejected the offer saying if he were to move it would have to be on a permanent basis, and with Darren Byfield and Ben May set to return from injury for Millwall, Neil believed he would have once again been forced out the side, which was the reason he left The New Den in the first instance. Millwall therefore, withdrew from transfer negotiations. He finally opened his goal-scoring account for Forest on the 2nd September 2006 after 21 months of waiting in a 4-0 victory against Chesterfield. It was a cutely struck volley from a few yards out. He and his team mates joy was clear to see in his celebration, as he ran towards the corner of the stadium and didn't look as though he would stop, until his team mates caught up. In the post match report, he admitted he was finally enjoying life at Nottingham Forest. Current manager Colin Calderwood is using Harris in the "hole" behind the front two where his intelligent control of the ball and eye for a good pass is used to great effect. Nonetheless, a certain contingent of the Forest fans still criticise Harris for his relatively poor scoring record and somewhat poor performance record. His inability to excite the demands of the Forest fans has made much of the criticism justifiable. He is still, however, highly spoken of by manager Calderwood.
Some Forest fans are now starting to feel slightly concerned as to why Harris, who has now only scored 1 goal in about 40 appearences, is still getting a place ahead of Forest's current top scorer, Grant Holt.
[edit] Trivia
- In 2001, Harris was diagnosed with testicular cancer but after intensive treatment including surgery, was given the all clear a year later.[1]
- Harris is Millwall's joint top league goal scorer along with Teddy Sheringham, each having scored 93 league goals for the club. In May 2006 he told the South London Press: "I am delighted to have equalled Teddy's record, whatever people say about him he's a superstar. I'm very proud to be in the record books of a club I love so dearly".
- Harris attended Brentwood School in Essex, in the year above Frank Lampard.
- Harris was nicknamed "Bomber" by Millwall fans, in reference to Arthur Travers Harris. At Nottingham Forest his nickname is "Chopper". he he
[edit] External links
| Nottingham Forest F.C. - Current Squad |
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|
1 Smith | 3 Padula | 4 Gary Holt | 5 Morgan | 6 Breckin | 7 Southall | 8 Commons | 9 Tyson | 10 Dobie | 11 Grant Holt | 14 Lester | 15 Harris | 16 Clingan | 17 Perch | 20 Pedersen | 21 Curtis | 22 Cullip | 23 Agogo | 24 Beaumont | 27 Hughes | 29 Bennett | 33 Fernandez | 34 Gamble | 37 McGugan | Manager: Calderwood |
Harris suffered Testicular Cancer
