(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Norwich manager Alex Neil is relishing the prospect of pitting his wits against the best of the Premier League after his remarkable rise reached a new high with promotion at Wembley.
\Just nine months ago, Neil was a virtual unknown outside the close-knit Scottish community of south Lanarkshire where he was starting his second full season in charge of minnows Hamilton.
The first match of Neil's 2014-15 campaign, a Scottish League Cup victory for Hamilton against Arbroath in August, was watched by just 730 people.
But fast forward to May and Neil suddenly found himself the toast of an 85,000 capacity crowd at Wembley as jubilant Norwich fans hailed the 33-year-old Scot, who had just underlined his growing reputation as one of the brightest young managers in Britain by masterminding his club's 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final.
After leading Hamilton's promotion to the Scottish Premiership via the play-offs last season, Norwich persuaded Neil to come south of the border to England's second tier following the sacking of Neil Adams in January.
At that point Norwich were languishing outside the top six in the aftermath of last season's relegation, but Neil, whose unremarkable playing career including stops at Airdrie, Barnsley, Mansfield and Hamilton, presided over an incredible run of 17 victories from 25 games which culminated in promotion thanks to first half goals from Cameron Jerome and Nathan Redmond at Wembley.
Neil's progress from the backwaters of Scottish football to the bright lights of the Premier League, combined with a fiery temper and determination to win at all costs, has already drawn comparisons with legendary former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.
And, with a single-minded focus that Ferguson would surely approve of, Neil made it clear he wouldn't feel inferior when he locks horns with the likes of Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Louis van Gaal next season.
"People have made a lot of the last year, telling me I was at Arbroath in front of 700 fans at the start of the season, but it is not a huge concern to me," Neil said.
"I set goals and am really determined to achieve them, whether it is Hamilton or Norwich. I don't get overawed by anyone or any place. "I am not silly, I know how big the task is. But we have our goals once we get there about what to do."
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.