Daniel James Neil (born 13 December 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Rangers.
Club career Born in South Shields, Neil grew up as a Sunderland fan, and began his career with the club after a stint with Hebburn Town Juniors.
He made his senior debut on 13 November 2018, in the EFL Trophy, appearing as a late substitute in injury time. Neil scored his first professional goal when he scored against Accrington Stanley on 11 September 2021 in a 2–1 win.
In December 2021 and January 2022 he was linked with possible transfers to Premier League clubs Burnley and Aston Villa, however he remained with Sunderland. This speculation came on the back of Neil being awarded the EFL Young Player of the Month award for December 2021.
On 27 January 2026, Neil joined EFL Championship club Ipswich Town on loan until the end of the season, when he would become a free agent.
On 1 July 2026, Neil signed for Rangers on a three-year contract. On 13 September 2026, Neil scored his first goals for Rangers, scoring two goals in a 3–0 victory against Celtic in the quarter finals of the League Cup. In that match he served as captain in the absence of the injured Lawrence Shankland, and was compared by Peter Lovenkrands to former player Barry Ferguson for his performance.
International career On 11 November 2021, Neil made his England U20 debut during a 2–0 defeat to Portugal in the 2021–22 Under 20 Elite League.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsSunderland2018–19League One00000010102019–20League One000000—002020–21League One20000060802021–22League One3931050114642022–23Championship4523000205022023–24Championship4241010—4442024–25Championship4421000304822025–26Premier League300010—40Total17511607013120112Ipswich Town (loan)2025–26Championship16010——170Rangers2026–27Scottish Premiership50002240112Career total19611709217122914
Honours Sunderland EFL Trophy: 2020–21 EFL League One play-offs: 2022 EFL Championship play-offs: 2025
Ipswich Town EFL Championship runner-up: 2025–26
Individual EFL Young Player of the Month: December 2021
References