Nathan Abbey facts for kids

Nathanael "Nathan" Abbey was born on July 11, 1978. He is a former English professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for many different teams during his career.

Playing Career Highlights

Nathan Abbey started his football journey as a young player. He played for many clubs, showing his skills as a goalkeeper.

Starting at Luton Town

Nathan Abbey was born in Islington, London. He began his football training with Luton Town. He became a professional player in August 1995. His first game for the senior team was in August 1997. It was a League Cup match against Colchester United. Later that season, he played for Woking on loan.

He played his first league game for Luton in February 1999. This was a 2–1 win against Burnley. For the 1999–2000 season, Nathan became Luton's main goalkeeper. The previous goalkeeper, Kelvin Davis, had moved to another team. Nathan played regularly that season. He continued to play for Luton until 2001.

Moving to Chesterfield

After leaving Luton, Nathan joined Chesterfield in August 2001. He played in every game the next season. He even won the Chesterfield Player of the Year Award. However, he left the club after not agreeing on a new contract.

Playing for Many Clubs

Nathan joined Northampton Town in August 2002. He played only a few games there before leaving. He then played for several other teams. These included Stevenage Borough, Hayes, Ipswich Town, and Burnley. He often had short stays at these clubs.

Time at Boston United

In July 2004, Nathan signed with Boston United. He played in 61 league games over a year and a half. He also had a short loan spell at Leyton Orient in December 2005. In February 2006, he moved to Bristol City. He played one game for them before leaving at the end of the season.

Joining Torquay United

Nathan signed with Torquay United in July 2006. He quickly became their main goalkeeper. He played in every game at the start of the 2006–07 season. However, he left the club in December 2006.

Playing for Brentford and MK Dons

Nathan joined Brentford in December 2006. He played 16 games for them before being released in May 2007. He then signed with Milton Keynes Dons before the 2007–08 season. He played a few games for MK Dons over two seasons.

Return to Non-League Football

After leaving MK Dons, Nathan joined Rushden & Diamonds. He played 11 games for them. In January 2010, he moved to Kettering Town. He played 29 games for Kettering Town before leaving the club in November 2010.

Managerial Career

Nathan Abbey also moved into coaching and management. He worked with his brother, Zema, at several clubs.

He became a player and assistant manager at Arlesey Town. In November 2013, he and his brother moved to St Neots Town. They left that club a few months into the 2014–15 season. Nathan then joined Dunstable Town in late 2014.

In February 2015, he returned to Arlesey Town. He was a player and joint-manager with his brother. They both left the club in May 2018.

In summer 2018, Nathan joined Bedford Town. He was a player and an assistant coach. Before the 2019–20 season, he became joint-head coach. In November 2019, he took over as the sole manager. However, he stepped down in January 2020 after a difficult period for the team.

In December 2021, it was announced that Bedford FC was sold. The team, now called Real Bedford, is currently managed by Nathan Abbey. They continue to play in the Spartan South Midlands Football League.

Personal Life

Nathan's brother, Zema, was also a professional footballer.

Career Statistics

Awards and Achievements

Milton Keynes Dons

• Football League Trophy: 2008