article: He worked under Billy Reid at Hamilton Academical, and advised Reid to move to Swansea City when the club wanted him to replace Paulo Sousa five years ago, but Reid chose to stay. He is now an assistant manager in Sweden's second tier. Neil is ambitious, and has always indicated a desire to test himself at the highest level. So he was always likely to accept the offer to succeed Neil Adams at Carrow Road. Reid was his friend, but also the man who shaped his career. Neil was a right-back when he pitched up at Hamilton from Mansfield Town in 2005; Reid restored him to a holding midfield role because of two significant qualities: his tenacity and his ability to read the game. Those traits have served Neil well. He only became Hamilton player-manager in April 2013, when Reid stepped down. Since then, he has guided the club to promotion - via the play-offs last summer - and to an eye-catching campaign in the Premiership, which has included topping the table in October. For perspective, no side in the top division has a lower wage budget. Hamilton regularly field a team in which half of the players have come through the youth ranks, and he led the team to their first win at Celtic Park since 1938. Following that 1-0 win, Neil gathered all of the players and club officials in the dressing room and urged them to make the most of the moment, and to build on it. The display and result were typical of Neil - not least because he was booked in the second half, while still amongst the substitutes. He has a steely edge, and can occasionally be overly aggressive. That tends to generally be controlled, though, and the spikiness will be required as he tries to impose his authority on the Norwich squad. Many of the players will be around the same age as Neil - who is 33 - and most will have played at a higher level and earned more money from their careers. In a world where wealth and kudos are commodities, Neil must find a way to display leadership and motivation without compromising his principles. "He's very calm and won't be fazed," said the former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson, who regularly reports on Hamilton games for BBC Scotland and whose youngest son is a youth player at New Douglas Park. "I did my B coaching badge with him. He has an edge and that's really important." The victory over Celtic was also typical of Neil because he was not prepared to limit his players or alter his tactical approach. Reid would often make Hamilton more defensive when they played bigger clubs, but Neil urges his players to have belief in their abilities and to trust in their game plan. The approach has worked, which is why Neil became Norwich's choice to replace Adams. Reid believes that his protege will succeed, remarking on him being "grounded" and that there is "no chance he will be overawed by the challenge down there". Reid has
summary: New Norwich City manager Alex Neil has learned from the successes and mistakes of his mentor.