Since joining the Coasters in 2020, Chris Neal has been an ever-present between the sticks at Mill Farm, making 106 appearances overall. 

With Chris committing to the Coasters for the 2023/24 National League campaign, the shot-stopper enters his fourth year at the Club and says he is delighted to sign a new deal. 

“I’m delighted to sign for another year. It’ll be my fourth season here, and hopefully another successful one for everyone associated with AFC Fylde.” 

One thing Neal has continuously been impressed with is the ambition of the Club, which was a big factor when extending his contract. 

“Everyone can see the ambition that the Club has and the direction it is going in, which is why it was an easy decision for me. 

“As players, staff and everyone involved at Fylde, we should be striving for even more success this year, and there’s no reason to believe we can’t achieve that.”

For Chris, he admits that winning the league title and him finishing joint top in the Golden Glove standings is a fantastic way to lead into next season.

“Overall, it was a very good year, and I was very happy to play every minute of every game and finish with 19 clean sheets. 

“Promotion is what everyone strives for when playing football, so to achieve that last year was fantastic and credit goes to everyone involved.” 

There is just over a month to go until players return for pre-season training, and although the 2022/23 National League North title is still fresh in the memory, the belief is there that next season can be just as successful. 

“Most of us in the squad have already played in the National League or above, so we have nothing to fear going into next season. 

“We have a great mix of youth and experience, so we’ll try and win as many games as we can throughout the season and see where it takes us.”