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Neale's father Terry commenting on the move at the time : "I'm very happy for Neale because now he has a great chance and he couldn't be at a better place as far as I'm concerned. I am flabbergasted with the Academy set up here, it is fantastic. I can't believe how open and honest the Club is and that hooked me straight from the first day. It's like a big happy family here and that's all credit to everyone from the very top, to the Manager and down to the Academy lads. Everything here is exactly the way an academy should be run."
McDermott progressed well at Fulham and continued his run through the international level youth ranks, representing England at u-15, u-17 and under-18 level, scoring two goals on the way, the first of which was against Spain at Ashton Gate on the 3rd of October 2001, at the age of 16. He also scored on his England under-18 debut in their 4-0 friendly win in Tunisia on the 14th of November 2002.
Neale never made the first-team at the West London club, although he did make a large of amount of appearances for the reserves, the 21-year old being well down in the queue behind numerous established full internationals at Craven Cottage. McDermott went out on loan twice in his Fulham career, making 11 starts, plus two as a substitute, and scoring two goals at Swindon from the start of September 2005 to the end of December 2005.
McDermott being recalled by Fulham boss Chris Coleman four weeks early from the successful loan spell when a bid from an unnamed club was tabled for the former Newcastle United trainee. The potential move came to nothing though, and, as it seemed highly likely he wasn't going to win a new deal at Craven Cottage, he was out on loan again six weeks later, this time to Darlington, where he made one start and two substitute appearances in a three-week spell, that wasn't successful this time and was ended early.
Neale was unsurprisingly released at the end of last season, with Coleman making big cutbacks at the Cottage, the ex-Welsh internarional defender letting six other players go as well as McDermott. A trial spell at Dunfermline followed at the end of June, with the 21-year old simply impressing boss Jim Leishman enough to win a deal at East End Park in his two weeks there, only for the Pars to pull the contract offer at the last minute.
McDermott soon linked up with the Blues on trial in mid-July and new United boss Neil McDonald has liked what he has seen of the midfielder in his pre-season appearances so far, one of which ironically came in Carlisle's 2-0 friendly win at Dunfermline. Neale being offered a 12-month deal with the Cumbrians, in what is a Derek Holmes-type contract seemingly, where if he makes "x" amount of appearances next season then he will get an extended deal at Brunton Park.