Neil Adams broke into professional football at Stoke City, his hometown team. 32 league appearances and 4 goals later, he was snapped up by Everton where he won a league championship medal. However he made only 20 league appearances for the Toffees and moved on to Oldham. 138 league games were played with Oldham before he was signed by Norwich for £250,000 in February 1994.

Neil had one of his most successful seasons in 1996/97 missing just one senior game and scoring 16 goals, nine of which were from the penalty spot. 1997/98 was less successful and injuries took their toll. He was limited to 32 appearances. Neil was released at the end of his contract in May 1999 after another injury plagued season had failed to convince Bruce Rioch that he had a part to play in Norwich's future.

Neil began talking to Oldham manager Andy Ritchie about a return to Boundary Park although Team Talk suggested that this move may fall through as Ritchie wants to spend his limited sums of cash on a centre forward. Neil eventually signed for the Latics in early July 1999. After suffering from injuries throughout 2000/01, Neil was released by Oldham on 9th May 2001 with Oldham citing their fears over future fitness as their explanation for not renewing his contract. Rochdale were the first league club to express an interest in offering a new home for Adams' skills. However his knee injury saw Neil call a day to a 17year playing career in June 2001.

Adams returned to Norfolk working with Radio Norfolk and the local media (see The Pink Un). Neil has also teamed up with the Canaries to act as a coach for the Academy Under 14s side. He holds a UEFA "A" license

In May 2008, Neil was dismissed from his coaching role with the Canaries. Earlier in the season, there was a bit of a spat between Adams and Norwich manager Glenn Roeder. Adams, when asked his views on Huckerby's omission from the team, was quoted as saying he would play him. However, his clearly-stated rider was that Roeder's record in leading City out of the relegation zone could not be argued with. "It is not me saying that he should have played - because results show that the manager has got it right," said Adams. "I am a big fan of Huckerby's, but it's results that count and it's results that the manager has got."

Local reports suggestedthat Roeder took exception and, without naming Adams, made it clear that he believed there were some people trying to drive a wedge between him and Huckerby. Roeder said: "What I don't like is the way people in and around the club have tried to say there is a problem between the two of us. He has gone out of his way to say there isn't. I have gone out of my way - although I don't feel I have to go out of my way - to say there isn't. And yet these nasty, irritating people that try and cause confrontation between myself and a player, between myself and supporters, are just bad people. They are people who will never manage a football club, they have little idea of managing a football club and yet they have a voice that reaches our supporters. Me and Huckerby get on very well. I don't have favourites, I don't do favourites. I pick the best team and at the end of the day it is my call. It is easy being a manager when you are one of 25,000 sitting in the stand or if you are an ex-player who is now working for the media who will never manage anything better than an under-10 team, thinking he knows best - and you know what I'm talking about, and I will deal with that, trust me. I'm a nice bloke, but not always."

Adams returned to the Norwich City academy as coach in mid-September 2008 in his previous role as Under-14s coach. Adams said "Glenn Roeder called me before the Plymouth game and asked me if I'd consider returning to coach at the academy, and after a meeting with him yesterday I'm happy to say that I have accepted his offer.”

Roeder added “I'm really pleased to have Neil Adams back on board. He's an excellent coach and is well respected in the game. It was unfortunate that due to restructuring of the academy, we had to release Neil at the end of last season. However we have now re-jigged the structure to give Neil the chance to come back on board. I'm delighted that Neil has accepted our offer.”

In July 2011, Neil quit his roles as BBC Radio Norfolk's matchday summariser and a Norwich Evening News columnist to take on a full time coaching role with Norwich's academy.