Nathan Abbey facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nathanael Abbey | ||
| Date of birth | 11 July 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Islington, England | ||
| Height | 6ft 1in | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1995 | Luton Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1995–2001 | Luton Town | 55 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Chesterfield | 46 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Northampton Town | 5 | (0) |
| 2003 | Stevenage Borough | 6 | (0) |
| 2003 | St Albans City | 1 | (0) |
| 2003 | Hayes | 1 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | Ipswich Town | 0 | (0) |
| 2004 | Burnley | 0 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Boston United | 61 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Leyton Orient (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2006 | Bristol City | 1 | (0) |
| 2006 | Torquay United | 24 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Brentford | 16 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Milton Keynes Dons | 1 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Rushden & Diamonds | 10 | (0) |
| 2010 | Kettering Town | 29 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Arlesey Town | 56 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | St Neots Town | 37 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Dunstable Town | 1 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Arlesey Town | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 350 | (0) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2011–2013 | Arlesey Town (player-assistant) | ||
| 2013–2014 | St Neots Town (player-assistant) | ||
| 2015–2018 | Arlesey Town (joint-coach) | ||
| 2018–2019 | Bedford Town (assistant) | ||
| 2019 | Bedford Town (joint-manager) | ||
| 2019–2020 | Bedford Town | ||
|
|||
Nathanael "Nathan" Abbey, born on July 11, 1978, is a former professional football player from England. He was a goalkeeper, which means he was the player who protects the goal. Nathan played for many different teams during his career, often moving between clubs.
Contents
Nathan Abbey's Football Career
Nathan Abbey started his football journey as a young player with Luton Town. He became a professional player in August 1995. His first game for the main team was in August 1997 in a League Cup match.
Playing for Luton Town
After his debut, Nathan had to wait a bit for more chances. He played his first league game for Luton in February 1999. For the 1999–2000 season, he became the team's main goalkeeper. This happened after the previous goalkeeper was sold.
Nathan stayed a regular player for that season. In 2000, a new manager signed another goalkeeper, but Nathan soon got his spot back. He continued to play for Luton Town until 2001.
Time at Chesterfield
When Luton Town was moved to a lower league, Nathan left the club. In August 2001, he joined Chesterfield. He played in every game the next season and was even named the Chesterfield Player of the Year. However, he left the club after not agreeing on a new contract.
Moving to Other Clubs
In August 2002, Nathan joined Northampton Town. He signed a contract to stay until the end of the season. But he found it hard to get a regular place in the team. He played only eight games before leaving at the end of the season.
After that, Nathan played for several other teams for short periods. These included Stevenage Borough, St Albans City, Hayes, Ipswich Town, and Burnley. He often struggled to become a regular starter at these clubs.
Playing for Boston United
In July 2004, Nathan signed with Boston United. He played 61 league games for them over a year and a half. During this time, he also had a short loan spell at Leyton Orient in December 2005.
In February 2006, he moved to Bristol City for free. He played just one game for Bristol City before leaving at the end of the season.
Torquay United and Brentford
Nathan joined Torquay United in July 2006. He quickly became their main goalkeeper. However, his contract was only extended for one month, and he left the club in December 2006.
The very next day, on December 29, 2006, Nathan signed with Brentford. He joined them on a special loan because their regular goalkeepers were injured. He later signed a permanent contract. Nathan played 16 games for Brentford before being released in May 2007.
Milton Keynes Dons and Later Clubs
Before the 2007–08 season, Nathan signed with Milton Keynes Dons. He made his debut for them when the regular goalkeeper was sent off. After two seasons, he left MK Dons.
He then joined Rushden & Diamonds, playing 11 games. In January 2010, he moved to Kettering Town. Nathan left Kettering Town in November 2010 after playing 29 games for the club.
After Kettering Town, Nathan continued to play for non-league teams. He played for Arlesey Town from 2011 to 2013, and then St Neots Town from 2013 to 2014. He also had a short time at Dunstable Town in 2014. He returned to Arlesey Town in 2015.
Nathan Abbey's Managerial Career
Nathan Abbey also took on coaching and managing roles in football.
Early Coaching Roles
In 2011, Nathan joined Arlesey Town as a player and assistant manager, working with his brother Zema. In November 2013, he moved with his brother to St Neots Town, also as a player-assistant. They both left the club in 2014.
In February 2015, Nathan returned to Arlesey Town. This time, he was a player and joint-manager with his brother. They both left the club in May 2018.
Coaching at Bedford Town
In the summer of 2018, Nathan joined Bedford Town. He was both a player and an assistant coach, helping with match analysis. Before the 2019–20 season, Nathan was promoted to joint-head coach.
In November 2019, he became the sole manager of Bedford Town. However, he decided to step back from the role in January 2020. In December 2021, it was announced that Nathan Abbey was managing the club team, now known as Real Bedford.
Personal Life
Nathan Abbey's brother, Zema, was also a professional footballer.
Career Summary
Nathan Abbey played a total of 350 games in his professional career as a goalkeeper. He played for many different clubs across various leagues in England.
Honours
Milton Keynes Dons
- Football League Trophy: 2008
