1 week Ago By Ben Banks
Lewis Neilson has shared the current Sheffield Wednesday star who inspired him on his road to the professional game - having once been neighbours. The centre-back is in contention to face boyhood club Dundee United on Sunday, who he joined the Tynecastle side from in 2022. After loans at Partick Thistle and St Johnstone, the defender is now looking to establish himself as a Jambos regular under Neil Critchley.
His journey football started back in Dundee as a kid, where Stuart Armstrong was his next door neighbour. The Scotland international is now at Sheffield Wednesday after time with the likes of United, Celtic, Southampton, Vancouver Whitecaps and the national team. He proved an inspiration for Neilson.
Sheffield Wednesday man inspires Jambo Neilson said: “I grew up living next door to Stuart Armstrong, who was kind of breaking his way into the first team at the time. So that's what got me into United. I went to a lot of his reserve games and then eventually the first team games.
Watching him was pretty cool, because the normal guy living next door ended up playing every week for Dundee United, one of the best players. So that's what got me into Dundee United. “I was there from 10-year-old myself right up until 19-year-old.
So yeah, the club definitely is a special place for me. Our families are really close. We see each other a lot and he's got a younger brother who's the same age as me.
So we're really good pals. I've not seen Stu too recently, but he's obviously done very well for himself. So it's something I'd like to replicate in my career.
His family's now back in Glasgow and my family are in a different part of Dundee. So not neighbours anymore, but we were for a good part of 10 years.” Biding his time He’s had to wait patiently for a chance but there are no regrets behind leaving his team back home for Hearts, as Neilson talks through his Tynecastle development.
He added: “I think I just had to put myself first. “It's my own career, I wasn't really getting any game time there. The gaffer here at the time, Robbie Neilson, from his time at United, we got on really well.
He liked me as a player, he was the one that brought me up from the U18s and got me involved in the first team. So we kind of had that understanding of each other. When I knew he was keen to have me here at Hearts, it was a no-brainer for me.
I wasn't really getting any game time at United, so I was frustrated. I was a young boy that just wanted to play first-team football. I came here and got the opportunity, so no regrets about that.
“I think I've kicked on. I've obviously been on a couple of loans as well, which I've really enjoyed. But no, I rarely ever regret anything I do.
If it's right in the moment, then why regret it later down the line? I feel like in the last few games I've held a good account of myself, so hopefully I can keep kicking on.”.
