Neil Banfield


Neil Banfield is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Crystal Palace and Leyton Orient. He is currently first-team coach at Queens Park Rangers.

Club career

Banfield was born in Poplar, London. He began his football career as a centre half with Crystal Palace, with whom he won the 1978 FA Youth Cup in a 1–0 victory over Aston Vila. When he left Palace in 1981, he had a spell with Australian side Adelaide City. Banfield moved again in 1983, to Leyton Orient with whom he spent one season.

International career

Banfield was an England schoolboy international, and was a member of the England team that won the 1980 UEFA European Under-18 Championship.

Managerial career

After his retirement he 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. Banfield 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.
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 for Arsenal, a role he held until 2018.
On 14 May 2019, Banfield was appointed first-team coach at Queens Park Rangers

Honours

Club

Crystal Palace
England U18
Arsenal Youth