page_title: Neil Alexander
hierarchical_section_title: Neil Alexander
caption_attribution_description: Neil Alexander from Uefa Cup Final 2008
context_page_description: James Neil Alexander is a Scottish football coach and former professional player, who is currently the goalkeeping coach at Dundee United. He began his career in the Scottish Football League with spells at Stenhousemuir and Livingston, before joining Cardiff City in May 2001 for a fee of £130,000. At Ninian Park, he went on to make over 200 appearances in all competitions during a six-year spell at the club, helping them achieve promotion to the Football League First Division via the 2003 Football League Second Division play-off Final. A contract dispute with the club led to a free transfer to fellow Football League Championship side Ipswich Town in 2007.
  After six months at Portman Road, he returned to Scotland with Rangers. Alexander was primarily understudy to Allan McGregor, but won the Scottish Cup twice, the Scottish League Cup three times and played in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. He became the first choice goalkeeper for Rangers after McGregor left the club following Rangers entering administration and subsequent liquidation in 2012.
context_section_description: James Neil Alexander (born 10 March 1978) is a Scottish football coach and former professional player, who is currently the goalkeeping coach at Dundee United. He began his career in the Scottish Football League with spells at Stenhousemuir and Livingston, before joining Cardiff City in May 2001 for a fee of £130,000. At Ninian Park, he went on to make over 200 appearances in all competitions during a six-year spell at the club, helping them achieve promotion to the Football League First Division via the 2003 Football League Second Division play-off Final. A contract dispute with the club led to a free transfer to fellow Football League Championship side Ipswich Town in 2007.
  After six months at Portman Road, he returned to Scotland with Rangers. Alexander was primarily understudy to Allan McGregor, but won the Scottish Cup twice, the Scottish League Cup three times and played in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final. He became the first choice goalkeeper for Rangers after McGregor left the club following Rangers entering administration and subsequent liquidation in 2012. Alexander left Rangers in 2013 after a dispute over wages, having won the Scottish Third Division title at the first attempt, to join Premier League side Crystal Palace. He made one appearance for Palace during the 2013–14 season, in the Football League Cup, before being released.
  He returned to Scotland for a third time following the expiration of his contract at Palace with Heart of Midlothian. In his first season with the club, he helped them win the Scottish Championship title, returning to the Scottish Premiership after one season and remained first choice the following season, as they achieved a third-place finish in the top division. Alexander was released by Hearts in 2016 and then spent a year as a backup at Aberdeen. He then returned to Livingston in 2017, and helped them win promotion in his final season as a player.
  Alexander represented Scotland at under-21 and B levels and gained three caps at full international level in 2006, winning the Kirin Cup.
caption: Alexander with Rangers in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final
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