Neale James Cooper (born November 24, 1963, in Darjeeling, India) began his senior career with Aberdeen, becoming a first-team regular from the beginning of the 1981–82 season, he starred in midfield for the Dons for five seasons in which he won two Premier Division Championships, four Scottish Cups, one League Cup, the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup under the management of Alex Ferguson.
In the summer of 1986, he signed for Aston Villa but made only twenty league appearances in the next two years, partly because of injuries. In the 1988–89 season, he transferred to Rangers and quickly won the League Cup but injuries restricted him to only seventeen league appearances.
In the summer of 1990, he re-joined Aberdeen but was never fit to play. Next season he signed for Reading but after only seven appearances moved to Dunfermline Athletic where he at last was able to play regulaly.
After three seasons in the First Division, he moved into management with Ross County. Neale guided the Staggies through two successful promotions campaigns before stepping down after a run of only one win in eleven games and joining Hartlepool United, who were newly promoted from the Third Division to the Second Division. Neale took them to the play-offs in his first season where they lost to Bristol City in the semi-finals after two last-minute goals.
In his second season, Neale took Hartlepool within points to securing another play-off spot before resigning with one match remaining. Hartlepool then went on to make the final of the play-offs, where they lost to Sheffield Wednesday.
For the 2005–06 season, he took over the reins at Gillingham who were in financial trouble and had lost the majority of their first team: but he resigned in November of that year after poor performances and an FA Cup defeat.
In October 2006, Neale returned to Scottish football with Second Division Peterhead, as he took on the role of first team coach under the management of Steve Paterson. When Paterson left Peterhead in early 2008, Neale took over as Peterhead manager.
