Nathan Ellington facts for kids

Nathan Levi Fontaine Ellington (born 2 July 1981) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was mainly focused on scoring goals.

Ellington started his football journey with smaller, non-League teams like Tooting & Mitcham United and Walton & Hersham. He then moved to professional clubs, including Bristol Rovers, Wigan Athletic, and Premier League side West Bromwich Albion. He also played for Watford and had loan spells at other clubs like Derby County. Later in his career, he played for Ipswich Town and Crewe Alexandra. In 2017, he joined Cheshire Football League team Egerton, where he later became an assistant manager.

Nathan Ellington's Football Career

Nathan Ellington began his football career in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He started with non-League clubs, which are teams that play below the main professional leagues.

Early Days at Bristol Rovers

Ellington joined Bristol Rovers in February 1999. He quickly made a name for himself. On 6 March 1999, he scored his first goal, helping his team win 2–0 against York City.

One of his most famous moments for Rovers was scoring three goals in one game (a hat-trick). This happened in an FA Cup match against Premier League team Derby County on 6 January 2002. It was a big deal because Bristol Rovers was in a lower division at the time. He scored three hat-tricks in just one month! His great performance earned him a spot in the PFA Division Three team of the year for the 2001–02 season.

Success with Wigan Athletic

On 28 March 2002, Nathan Ellington signed with Wigan Athletic for a club record fee of £1.2 million. He made an immediate impact, scoring in his very first game for Wigan.

He scored another hat-trick for Wigan against West Bromwich Albion in a League Cup match on 2 October 2002. Ellington was a key player when Wigan Athletic was promoted to the Premier League in the 2004–05 season. This was a historic moment for the club, as it was their first time in the top division. He was the top scorer in the Football League Championship that season. He was also named in the PFA Championship team of the season.

Time at West Bromwich Albion

Ellington joined West Bromwich Albion on 16 August 2005. This move cost £3 million, making him one of the most expensive players for Albion at the time. He made his Premier League debut for West Brom on 24 August 2005.

He scored his first goals for the club with two goals in a League Cup win against Bradford City. In his first Premier League season, he scored eight goals. He scored his first Premier League goals in a 4–0 win against Everton. In June 2006, West Bromwich Albion turned down an offer from Wigan Athletic to re-sign him, showing how much they valued him.

Ellington won West Brom's "Goal of the Season" award for 2006–07. This was for an amazing goal he scored against Cardiff City. He played regularly and helped Albion reach the play-offs, but they lost in the final. He left West Bromwich Albion on 29 August 2007, having scored 20 goals in 81 games.

Moving to Watford

On 29 August 2007, Ellington signed a four-year deal with Watford. Watford paid a club record fee of £3.25 million for him. He made his debut for Watford three days later.

His first goal for Watford came on 19 January 2008 in a 1–1 draw against Charlton Athletic. He scored 4 goals in 34 league appearances for Watford in his first season.

Loan to Derby County

Derby County signed Ellington on a season-long loan on 30 May 2008. He had a good start, scoring three goals in pre-season games. He scored another hat-trick against Lincoln City in the Football League Cup on 12 August.

He was the joint top-scorer in the 2008–09 League Cup with 6 goals. After his loan, he returned to Watford.

Later Career Clubs

Ellington had a loan spell at Skoda Xanthi in Greece in 2010. He then joined Preston North End on loan in January 2011, where he scored two goals.

In June 2011, Ellington signed a two-year contract with Ipswich Town. He later had a loan spell at Scunthorpe United. He then joined Crewe Alexandra in March 2013 and Southport in October 2013. By March 2015, Nathan Ellington had retired from playing professional football.

Nathan Ellington's Personal Life

In 2005, Nathan Ellington married Alma, a woman from Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. After learning more about the faith, he converted to Islam and became a Muslim before their marriage.

In 2011, he helped create the Association of Muslim Footballers. This group aims to support Muslim players and their families. It also highlights positive Muslim role models in football and helps build good relationships between players of different beliefs.

Ellington has spoken about how Ramadan affects his football. He explained that when playing away matches, he might not fast, but he makes up for those missed days later. For training, he gets his energy and water from the early morning meal called suhoor. The main difference is waiting until sunset for the evening meal, called iftar, while others might eat earlier.

He is nicknamed The Duke, which comes from the famous jazz musician Duke Ellington. Nathan also comes from a sporty family; his cousin Lee Ellington is also a footballer.

Career statistics

Honours and Awards

Nathan Ellington received several awards and honours during his career:

Wigan Athletic

• Football League Second Division: 2002–03 (Champions)
• Football League Championship runner-up: 2004–05 (Promoted to Premier League)

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year:
  • 2001–02 Third Division
  • 2004–05 Championship
• Football League Cup top goalscorer:
  • 2002–03
  • 2008–09
• Football League Championship Golden Boot: 2004–05 (Top Scorer)
• Nominated for the Best at Sport award at the British Muslim Awards: 2014