Neil was a trialist in the 1996 pre-season, playing 63 minutes against Portsmouth at home on July 27th1996 in 0-0 draw.

Neil, had a very successful football career, playing as a midfielder but could play as a defender between 1980 and 1997.
He played for 72 games for Reading scoring 22 goals from 1980 to 82, he then signed for Portsmouth, playing 123 games and scoring 35 times in the next three seasons.
In 1985 he signed for Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, for £250,000 where he scored 47 goals in 147 matches.
In 1989 he signed for Manchester United for £1.5 million, and played for them in 75 games, scoring 8 games, returning to Forest in 1992, for a fee of £800,000. He stayed there until the summer of of 1996, and had played on loan at Reading. 

It it was from Forest that he trialed for the Grecians. After leaving Exeter, he played 4 games for Grimsby in 1996 and then joined Aldershot where he made 36 apperances scoring 6 times in 1996/97.
Retiring from playing he managed Weymouth in 1997 and later Reading Town. 

Neil had played 26 times for England from 1987 to 1992.