Neil Banfield

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Neil Banfield

|image =

|full_name = Neil Anthony Banfield{{cite book |last1=Hugman |first1=Barry J. |title=The PFA Premier & Football League players' records 1946–2015 |date=November 2015 |publisher=G2 Entertainment |isbn=978-1-7828-1167-1 |page=52 |edition=First}}

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|1|20|df=y}}

|birth_place = Poplar, London, England

|position = Defender

|currentclub = Stevenage
(assistant manager/first-team coach)

|youthyears1 = 1978–1980

|youthclubs1 = Crystal Palace

|years1 = 1979–1981

|clubs1 = Crystal Palace

|caps1 = 3

|goals1 = 0

|years2 = 1981–1983

|clubs2 = Adelaide City

|caps2 = 50

|goals2 = 2

|years3 = 1983–1985

|clubs3 = Leyton Orient

|caps3 = 31

|goals3 = 0

|nationalyears1 = 1977

|nationalteam1 = England Schoolboys

|nationalcaps1 = 7

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|nationalyears2 = 1979–1980

|nationalteam2 = England U18

|nationalcaps2 = 13

|nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 1981 | nationalteam3 = England U20 | nationalcaps3 = 5 | nationalgoals3 = 0

|manageryears1 = 1992–1997

|managerclubs1 = Charlton Athletic (head youth coach)

|manageryears2 = 1997–2004

|managerclubs2 = Arsenal Academy

|manageryears3 = 2004–2012

|managerclubs3 = Arsenal Reserves

|manageryears4 = 2012–2018

|managerclubs4 = Arsenal (first-team coach)

|manageryears5 = 2019–2022

|managerclubs5 = Queens Park Rangers (first-team coach)

|manageryears6 = 2022–2023

|managerclubs6 = Rangers (assistant coach)

|manageryears7 = 2024

|managerclubs7 = Wealdstone (assistant manager)

|manageryears8 = 2024–

|managerclubs8 = Stevenage (assistant manager)

}}

Neil Banfield (born 20 January 1962) is an English professional football coach and former player.

Banfield played in the Football League for Crystal Palace and Leyton Orient. He became a coach at Charlton Athletic before moving to Arsenal as a youth coach in 1997. From 2012, Banfield spent six years as first-team coach under Arsène Wenger at Arsenal before taking up coaching roles at Queens Park Rangers, Rangers, Wealdstone, and since May 2024 as assistant manager and first-team coach at Stevenage.

Playing career

=Club=

Banfield was born on 20 January 1962 in Poplar, London.{{cite book |last1=Kaufman |first1=Neilson N |last2=Ravenhill |first2=Alan E |title=The Men Who Made Leyton Orient Football Club |date=2002 |publisher=Tempus Publishing |isbn=0752424122 |page=27}} He played district and England schoolboy and youth football and joined Crystal Palace as an apprentice in August 1979, with whom he won the 1978 FA Youth Cup in a 1–0 victory over Aston Villa.{{cite book |title=Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989 |first1=Mike |last1=Purkiss |first2=Nigel |last2=Sands |date=1990 |page=72 |isbn=0907969542}} He made only three first-team appearances for Palace and in 1981, joined Australian side Adelaide City for two seasons. In December 1983, he moved to Leyton Orient, making 31 league appearances in two seasons before joining Dagenham and Redbridge in May 1985.{{cite web |url=http://www.arsenal.com/first-team/coaching-staff/neil-banfield |title=Neil Banfield |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |date=2014 |accessdate=30 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001031025/https://www.arsenal.com/first-team/coaching-staff/neil-banfield |archive-date=1 October 2017}}

=International=

Banfield was an England schoolboy international,{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/matchrsl/MatchRslTmSBpg4.html |title=Match results schoolboys (under 15) 1970–1979 |website=England Football Online |publisher=Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood |date=11 October 2024 |access-date=12 October 2024}} and was a member of the England team that won the 1980 UEFA European Under-18 Championship.{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/matchrsl/MatchRslTmU18pg3.html |title=Match results under 18 1971–1980 |website=England Football Online |publisher=Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood |date=2 October 2024 |access-date=12 October 2024}}

Managerial career

After his retirement as a player, Banfield became a coach. He started his coaching career with Charlton Athletic with whom he spent five years as the head coach at the club's academy.{{cite web |last=McIntyre |first=David |title=Banfield: The Rangers can thrive even after star players move on |url=https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/football-wls-qpr-neil-banfield-interview-19032011 |website=West London Sport |accessdate=2 October 2020 |date=19 March 2020 |quote=Banfield, who spent five years as Charlton's head youth coach before joining Arsenal in 1997...}} He then joined Arsenal in 1997. Banfield went on to coach Arsenal's academy teams with whom he won two FA Youth Cups, an FA Premier Academy League U17 title in 1999–2000 and an U19 League title in 2001–02. He then succeeded Eddie Niedzwiecki as the coach of Arsenal Reserves after the former's departure for Blackburn Rovers in September 2004.{{cite web |url=https://www.footballfancast.com/opinion-2/football-blogs/footballs-unsung-heroes-arsenals-neil-banfield/amp |title=Football's unsung heroes – Arsenal's Neil Banfield |first=Mark |last=Greenwood |website=Football Fancast.com |date=11 February 2010 |accessdate=13 December 2017}}

Banfield also served under Don Givens as the assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland U21 team. He held this post from April 2004 to May of the following year. On 24 May 2012, Banfield took up the position of first-team coach at Arsenal,{{cite web |

url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/bould-and-banfield-join-first-team-staff | title=Bould and Banfield join first-team staff |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |date=24 May 2012 |accessdate=24 May 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526061018/https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/bould-and-banfield-join-first-team-staff |archivedate=26 May 2012}} a role he held until 2018.

On 14 May 2019, Banfield was appointed first-team coach at Queens Park Rangers{{Cite web |title=Mark Warburton adds Neil Banfield to backroom team |url=https://www.qpr.co.uk/news/club-news/mark-warburton-adds-neil-banfield-to-backroom-team/ |first=Paul |last=Morrissey |publisher=Queens Park Rangers F.C. |date=14 May 2019 |access-date=9 May 2024}} On 28 November 2022, Banfield joined Michael Beale in moving to Rangers.{{cite web |url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-confirm-michael-beale-as-manager/78EvJ6oEQDnXMpW19wJApY |title=Rangers confirm Michael Beale as manager |publisher=Rangers F.C. |date=28 November 2022 |access-date=9 May 2024}}

In January 2024, Banfield was appointed assistant manager of National League club Wealdstone.{{cite web |url=https://www.wealdstone-fc.com/post/new-manager-david-noble |title=New Manager: David Noble |publisher=Wealdstone F.C. |date=26 January 2024 |access-date=9 May 2024}} He left the club in April when manager David Noble was dismissed,{{cite news |url=https://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/24237060.national-league-club-part-company-manager/ |title=National League club part company with manager |first=Chris |last=Phillips |newspaper=Southend Echo |date=7 April 2024 |access-date=9 May 2024}} and was appointed assistant manager/first-team coach under Alex Revell at League One club Stevenage on 9 May.{{cite web |url=https://www.stevenagefc.com/news/2024/may/alex-revell-appointed-first-team-manager-stevenage-fc-football-club-sky-bet-league-one-efl-english-football-league/ |title=Stevenage appoint Revell |publisher=Stevenage F.C. |date=9 May 2024 |access-date=9 May 2024}}

Honours

=Club=

Crystal Palace

FA Youth Cup: 1978

=Country=

England U18

UEFA Under-18 Championship: 1980{{cite web |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/features/20150119/-sometimes-i-have-to-pinch-myself- |title=Sometimes I have to pinch myself |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |date=20 January 2015 |accessdate=13 December 2017}}