Kevin Nolan facts for kids
Nolan coaching West Ham United in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin Anthony Jance Nolan | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Northampton Town (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1999 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2009 | Bolton Wanderers | 296 | (40) |
| 2009–2011 | Newcastle United | 85 | (29) |
| 2011–2015 | West Ham United | 141 | (30) |
| 2016 | Leyton Orient | 14 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Notts County | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 536 | (99) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002–2004 | England U21 | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2016 | Leyton Orient | ||
| 2017–2018 | Notts County | ||
| 2024– | Northampton Town | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kevin Anthony Jance Nolan (born on June 24, 1982) is an English football coach and former player. He currently manages Northampton Town. He also played for England's Under-21 team.
Kevin grew up in Toxteth, Liverpool, and joined Bolton Wanderers when he was 16. He helped Bolton get promoted to the Premier League in 2001. He quickly became a key player for the team. Nolan scored important goals, including against Manchester United at Old Trafford. These goals helped Bolton stay in the top half of the Premier League.
Nolan also played a big part when Bolton qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time. They even reached the knockout stages of the competition. After Jay-Jay Okocha left in 2006, Nolan became the team captain. He led Bolton to qualify for the UEFA Cup again, where they once more reached the knockout rounds.
In January 2009, Nolan moved to Newcastle United. The team was relegated to the Championship that season. However, Nolan played very well the next season, scoring 18 goals. This included his first hat-trick. He helped Newcastle win the Championship and get promoted back to the Premier League. After this, he became Newcastle's club captain.
In 2011, Nolan joined West Ham United. He became captain soon after arriving. He led West Ham back to the Premier League after just one season. Nolan left West Ham in August 2015. He then became a player-manager for Leyton Orient and later for Notts County.
Contents
Early Life and Football Dreams
Kevin Nolan was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, on June 24, 1982. He grew up in Toxteth in a family that loved football. From a young age, he dreamed of becoming a professional footballer. He went to Liverpool Blue Coat School. In 1996, he played for the City of Liverpool's schoolboys team. As a child, he supported Celtic and Liverpool. However, his favorite players were Eric Cantona and Lee Sharpe from Manchester United.
Playing Career Highlights
Bolton Wanderers Success
Kevin Nolan was invited to a training session for the Bolton Wanderers youth team by a friend. He was quickly signed by the club. At 16, he got a year-to-year contract. A year later, he signed his first professional contract and played his first game for the senior team. He played the whole match when Bolton beat Preston North End in the First Division play-off. This win helped Bolton get promoted to the Premier League.
In his first Premier League season (2001–02), Nolan scored eight league goals. This included two goals against Leicester City on the first day. He also scored Bolton's first goal in a 2–1 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The next season, he scored the winning goal at Old Trafford again, helping Bolton win 1–0.
In the 2003–04 season, Nolan's goals helped Bolton finish eighth in the league. He also scored in the League Cup semi-finals. Bolton reached the final but lost 2–1 to Middlesbrough. Nolan scored a career-best 12 goals that season. This helped Bolton achieve their highest Premier League finish in over 40 years.
The next season, Nolan helped Bolton reach the FA Cup quarter-finals. His four league goals also helped the club qualify for the UEFA Cup for the first time. In the UEFA Cup, Bolton reached the last 32. Nolan scored a winning goal against Zenit St. Petersburg. He scored nine more goals in the league, helping Bolton finish eighth.
For the 2006–07 season, Nolan became club captain after Jay-Jay Okocha left. His three league goals helped Bolton qualify for the UEFA Cup again. Nolan's long throw-in helped Bolton get a 2–2 draw against Bayern Munich. Bolton reached the first knockout round of the UEFA Cup. Nolan scored in a 2–0 win over Sunderland in May, which helped secure Bolton's Premier League spot.
In January 2009, after playing 323 league games for Bolton, Nolan started talks to move to Newcastle United.
Newcastle United Journey
On January 29, 2009, Newcastle United agreed to pay £4 million for Nolan. He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract. On February 22, Nolan received his first red card for Newcastle against Everton. At the end of that season, Newcastle was relegated to the Championship. Nolan was one of the players who spoke out, wanting the club to focus on getting back to the Premier League.
Nolan was very important in Newcastle's push for promotion the next season. He scored his first league goal for Newcastle on August 22 against Crystal Palace. He scored his first career hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Ipswich Town on September 26. Nolan captained Newcastle for the first time in a 5–1 win against Cardiff City. He scored his 11th league goal of the season against Preston North End in a 3–0 win. He was voted the Championship Player of the Year on March 16. On April 5, 2010, Newcastle United secured promotion back to the Premier League. Nolan scored the winning goal in a 2–1 win over Sheffield United.
Nolan was named the new Newcastle United club captain for the 2010–11 season. He scored two goals in Newcastle's 6–0 win against Aston Villa. On October 31, 2010, Nolan scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 5–1 win against Sunderland. He scored the first goal against Liverpool in new manager Alan Pardew's first game, which Newcastle won 3–1. On January 16, he scored the opening goal in the second derby against Sunderland, which ended 1–1. On February 26, 2011, Nolan scored his 50th Premier League goal against his former club, Bolton Wanderers.
West Ham United Captaincy
West Ham United signed Nolan on June 16, 2011, on a five-year contract. He was immediately made captain. His first league game was on August 7, 2011, in a 1–0 loss to Cardiff City. Nolan scored his first goal for West Ham on August 13, 2011, in a 1–0 win against Doncaster Rovers. On May 7, 2012, Nolan scored his 13th goal for the club against Cardiff City in a 3–0 win. This secured West Ham's spot in the play-off final at Wembley. On May 19, 2012, he captained West Ham in the 2012 Championship play-off final against Blackpool. West Ham won 2–1, returning to the Premier League after one season.
Nolan continued his good form in the 2012–13 season. He scored his first goal of the season on the opening day in a 1–0 win against Aston Villa. On September 1, he scored within one minute in a 3–0 win against Fulham. On September 22, he scored in added time to get a 1–1 draw against Sunderland. On April 20, 2013, Nolan scored his 100th career goal in a 2–0 win against Wigan Athletic. Nolan finished the 2012–13 season by scoring his second Premier League hat-trick in a 4–2 win against Reading on May 19, 2013. This meant he had scored 10 league goals in a season for the fourth year in a row.
Nolan started the 2013–14 season by scoring in the first game again, in a 2–0 win against Cardiff City. West Ham had a tough first half of the season. In December 2013, Nolan was sent off against Liverpool. After serving a three-match ban, he was sent off again in his second match back against Fulham. He was fined by West Ham. Nolan was the top scorer for West Ham in the 2013–14 season.
At the start of the 2014–15 season, he played in the first game, a 1–0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. However, he fractured his shoulder in training, which kept him out for several weeks. Nolan played 29 games that season and scored one goal in a 2–1 win against West Bromwich Albion.
His last game for West Ham was on August 22, 2015, against AFC Bournemouth. Five days later, Nolan left West Ham United by agreement. He had played 157 games for West Ham and scored 31 goals.
Leyton Orient Player-Manager
On January 21, 2016, Nolan became the player-manager of Leyton Orient. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. Two days later, he won his first match as manager, a 2–0 win against Wycombe Wanderers. On January 26, he made his playing debut for Orient against Newport County. He came on as a substitute and helped win a penalty kick, which led to the only goal of the game. He made his first start for the club on February 6 against Portsmouth, playing 70 minutes in a 1–0 victory.
Nolan's Orient team won three of their four league games in his first full month as manager. He was nominated for February's manager of the month award. On April 12, 2016, Nolan was removed from his manager duties, though he remained at the club until July 6.
Coaching and Managerial Career
Notts County Manager
On January 12, 2017, Nolan was appointed manager of Notts County. He took over a team that had lost its last ten matches and was close to the relegation zone. Two days later, in his first game, Notts County drew 0–0 with Mansfield Town. On January 30, Nolan registered as a player, but he did not play any games for Notts County. Under his management, the team avoided relegation.
On September 20, 2017, with Notts County in second place in League Two, Nolan signed a new three-year contract. He also won the EFL League Two Manager of the Month award, his first award as a manager. On August 26, 2018, Nolan was dismissed as manager of Notts County after a six-game winless streak.
West Ham United Coach
In February 2020, Nolan was appointed as a first team coach at West Ham United. He worked under manager David Moyes. When Moyes left the club in May 2024, Nolan also left with the other coaches.
England U20 Assistant Coach
In August 2024, Nolan was appointed as the interim assistant head coach for the England U20 team. He supported Paul Nevin, whom he had coached with at West Ham United.
Northampton Town Manager
On December 23, 2024, Nolan was appointed as the manager of Northampton Town. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. His first game as manager was on December 26, which ended in a 4–1 loss away to Reading.
International Football
Nolan was called up to the England Under-18s and Under-21s. Some people thought he might play for the senior England team in the future. Reports also suggested he could play for the Republic of Ireland or Netherlands because of his family background.
On November 12, 2012, Nolan said he felt hurt that England managers often overlooked him. He held the record for the most Premier League appearances without playing for the senior England team (401 appearances). However, his former West Ham teammate, Mark Noble, has since passed this record.
Personal Life
Kevin Nolan got engaged in 2005 and married his fiancée Hayley in the summer of 2008. They had their first child, a daughter, in November 2006. Their second child, a son, was born in January 2010.
Career Achievements
As a Player
Bolton Wanderers
- Football League First Division play-offs: 2001 (Promotion to Premier League)
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2003–04
Newcastle United
- Football League Championship: 2009–10 (Champions, promoted to Premier League)
West Ham United
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2012 (Promotion to Premier League)
Individual Awards
- Premier League Player of the Month: February 2006
- Football League Championship Player of the Year: 2009–10
- PFA Team of the Year (Championship): 2009–10
- Football League Championship Player of the Month: April 2010
As a Manager
Individual Awards
- EFL League Two Manager of the Month: September 2017
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Nolan para niños
