Neil John Ashton (born 15 January 1985) is an English manager and former footballer who is currently manager of Cymru North side Cefn Druids. Typically played as left-back, he occasionally acted as a midfielder. Career Tranmere Rovers Neil Ashton started his career with Tranmere Rovers as a youth player in 2001 and turned professional in 2003, he was part of the senior squad until 2005 making just one league appearance during his time at Prenton Park. In the 2004–05 season he was loaned out to Shrewsbury Town and made 24 appearances. Shrewsbury Town At the start of the 2004–05 season, the manager at that time, Gary Peters, bought in Ashton on loan from Tranmere Rovers to offer competition to left back Trevor Challis. By the end of that season, the deal was turned into a permanent one that saw Ashton make over 130 appearances in all competitions, before his subsequent move to Macclesfield Town. In January 2008, Ashton joined Macclesfield Town on loan for the rest of the 2007–2008 campaign in a bid to find first team football. Ashton made 19 appearances, scoring once in his spell with Macclesfield. Chester City In the summer of 2009 Ashton signed for Chester City who had recently been relegated to the Conference Premier. However, he was left without a club on 26 February 2010 after Chester were expelled from the Football Conference after breaching five league regulations, then wound up. Wrexham After the demise of Chester, Ashton joined the club's fierce rivals Wrexham on trial playing twice for the reserves, impressing then manager Dean Saunders. He signed for the Conference club ahead of the 2010–2011 campaign. He took the number 3 shirt and was a regular in the side and in his first season with the Dragons Ashton made 42 appearances including playing in both legs of the defeats to Luton Town in the Conference Play-off semi-finals. In the 2011–12 season, Ashton was part of the Wrexham side that finished second in the league gaining 98 points, but like the previous season they lost in the play-off semi finals to Luton Town. However, as a consolation to Ashton, he earned the club's player of the year award for the season after making 48 appearances including an FA Cup 3rd round match against Brighton & Hove Albion when they lost on penalties after a replay. He scored his first goal for Wrexham from the