We are talking about only the third time Celtic have made it through to the last 16 and with Gordon Strachan having been in charge on each of the previous two occasions, Neil, at a relatively early stage in his managerial career, has become just the second Celtic manager to achieve the feat.
Given the difference in the wage budget between the club and all of the other sides at this stage in the tournament, I think it really underlines how far the club have come under his guidance.
The Champions League run this season will have benefited the Parkhead finances by a huge amount, while Celtic's run to the last 16 has also lifted the club's profile again in Europe and provided some unforgettable nights.
No one who was at Parkhead the night Celtic beat Barcelona this season will ever forget that game.
The fact they pushed them so close at the Nou Camp was almost as important in reinforcing the fact that this Parkhead side are more than competitive at the highest level in Europe.
Ultimately, however, I think the difference against Juventus came at either end of the park.
At the back the Italians were that bit more sturdy and gave Celtic very little encouragement in either leg.
Unfortunately two defensive errors at Parkhead largely ended their hopes of progress before Neil and his side arrived in Turin on Wednesday night for the second leg.
Juventus also showed a killer touch when chances came their way that really marks the difference between Europe's top level clubs and the rest.
Celtic may have had chances themselves, in both legs – Efe Ambrose had headers he would have been disappointed not to score from, for example – but the difference was that they did not take them.
The frustrating thing is that in neither leg did Celtic play badly.
I thought in particular that they opened up very brightly at Parkhead and were playing in the right manner and working the Juventus goalkeeper Gianlugi Buffon, only to be undone by poor defending.
But against Italian sides, and certainly one as good as this Juventus outfit, you just can't afford to give them any
encouragement.
They're masters at defending a lead and then hitting you hard again when you push for an equaliser.
But there have been other hugely positive aspects of the European campaign even if the last 16 exit was, in the end, a very frustrating one.
Not least of these was the introduction of young Tony Watt to European football at the highest level.
While the Celtic scouting network has done very well in unearthing prospects abroad, I think it is still hugely important that the club continues to develop homegrown talent.
Not since Aiden McGeady headed for Moscow has Celtic developed a youngster who has come right through and shone in the European arena.
Now we have two with young Tony, although he was signed initially from Airdrie, and of course James Forrest.
These young lads will have learnt huge amounts over this season thanks to their opportunity to rub shoulders against the very best in Europe in the Champions League.
However, I think Celtic, and of course Neil, can take massive encouragement from the way they negotiated testing qualifiers against Helsinki and Helsingborgs last summer.
Not to mention the fact that they then progressed through the group stage at the expense of a much-fancied Benfica side to the last 16.
All in all Celtic have produced some performances and results that have given the whole of Scottish football a lift during a difficult season.
Neil and his boys, and everyone at the club, are right to be proud of that.
