The frustration has been palpable, and he admits:
"The fans have been feeling it as well; it has been going on and on and it is frustrating for any striker, but I stayed upbeat and positive - I believed in myself and I was rewarded.
"It was a nice vote of confidence to be picked again and the main thing is we have been doing well - if we had been struggling and I wasn't scoring it would have been a different matter.
"We all want to score goals, and hopefully we will all do well; there is certainly an understanding there.
"Jermain is suspended so hopefully I can carry on scoring; it is not ideal with David suspended for the match after that as well but we will see who the manager picks.
"If I am being honest I expected to score more goals but West Ham have been doing well and of course they are a decent side with quality strikers in Jermain and David.
"Gerard Houllier has been on the phone and very supportive, saying he believes in me; the boss wanted me to get a full year on loan to learn as I wasn't going to feature much in the first team, and it is nice that someone who is so highly regarded in the game has spoken to me a couple of times.
"I have got a lot of respect in Liverpool which is nice, and the goals were a confidence booster."
Neil feels he is settling down in the south, and adds:
"I share an apartment with Matthew Kilgallon; we are on our own and have to clean each other's clothes.
"It is totally different as it is the first time I have lived away from Liverpool, so it is an experience - we eat the right things and do the right things.
"My speciality is pasta and we have moved on from the beans on toast!"
Neil knows he will have a new boss to convince he is worthy of a place soon and adds:
"When the new manager comes in I will want to impress and what better way to do that than score goals.
"I struggled at the start of the season but now I have got off the mark hopefully I can go on from there - but my confidence has always been high.
"Look at Michael Owen, who had a little spell last season - he kept going and ended up with about 20 goals."
Neil knows the spotlight is on after he failed to pass to David Connelly just before he scored, and he says:
"Really I should have squared it but I just felt I wanted to put it in the net and get my first goal - which I did a minute later."
As for Jermain's strike, he adds:
"It was a tremendous goal; I know he has had a lot of stick but he has done really well and scored his fair share of goals, that's for sure."
There was even a suggestion that Jermain could have squared one to Neil just befoe he went off, but he says:
"It would have been nice to get my first competitive hat trick but he had to shoot there; it was a bit unlucky, but the right decision to shoot.
"Jermain is suspended so hope to be starting with those two goals in mind and hopefully we can carry on winning.
"I look a bit gangly and awkward at times but I put myself about and try to be as awkward as I can.
"It was important to win just to get back up there; we said at the start of the week we want at least seven points so hopefully we can achieve that."