Neil Danns played for Birmingham City between 2006 and 2008 and Bolton Wanderers between 2013 and 2016.
Born in Liverpool, Danns switched from the Reds academy to Blackburn Rovers as a teenager where he was given his professional debut in a UEFA Cup game against CSKA Sofia. Danns went on to play seven times for Rovers before joining Colchester United after previous loan spells at Blackpool and Hartlepool United.
Danns enjoyed a successful two-year stay in Essex before he moved to Birmingham City, helping the Blues gain promotion to the Premier League in 2007. The promotion didn’t work out for him though as he joined Championship side Crystal Palace, playing 114 times for the Eagles before leaving at the end of his contract.
The Guyana international headed to Leicester City in 2011 but made just 42 appearances in three years before he signed for then Championship Bolton Wanderers, after loan spells at Bristol City and Huddersfield Town.
During his journeyman career, Danns played the most for any club at Bolton, making 116 appearances in three years for Wanderers after he linked back up with former boss at Palace, Dougie Freeman.
But what’s Danns up to these days?
After leaving Bolton Wanderers in 2016, Danns joined League One side Bury where he played for two-and-a-half years, with another short stint on loan at Blackpool to help the Tangerines win promotion to League One.
Danns remained at Bury until the side were expelled from the football league due to financial mismanagement in 2019, joining Tranmere Rovers as a free agent until the end of the season. The midfielder later dropped into non-league with Radcliffe Borough and Halifax Town the following season before joining Welsh side Connah’s Quay Nomads.
Now at 40, Danns has taken a player-manager role at Macclesfield, the phoenix club of former EFL side Macclesfield Town. Danns joined the North West Counties Premier Division side in September 2021 but took up the hot seat at the beginning of the year, with the Silkmen on course to achieve promotion to step seven of English football this season.
