Nathan Ellington facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nathan Levi Fontaine Ellington | ||
| Date of birth | 2 July 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Bradford, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Egerton (player-assistant manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tooting & Mitcham United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | Walton & Hersham | 20 | (9) |
| 1999–2002 | Bristol Rovers | 116 | (35) |
| 2002–2005 | Wigan Athletic | 134 | (59) |
| 2005–2007 | West Bromwich Albion | 68 | (15) |
| 2007–2011 | Watford | 51 | (5) |
| 2008–2009 | → Derby County (loan) | 27 | (3) |
| 2010 | → Skoda Xanthi (loan) | 19 | (6) |
| 2011 | → Preston North End (loan) | 18 | (2) |
| 2011–2013 | Ipswich Town | 17 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → Scunthorpe United (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2013 | Crewe Alexandra | 8 | (0) |
| 2013 | Southport | 3 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Egerton | 3 | (1) |
| Total | 490 | (135) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018– | Egerton (assistant manager) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nathan Ellington, born on July 2, 1981, is a former English professional footballer. He was known for playing as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals.
Ellington began his football journey with smaller, non-League teams like Tooting & Mitcham United and Walton & Hersham. He then joined Bristol Rovers in 1999. After playing many games for them, he moved to Wigan Athletic in 2002.
In 2005, Nathan joined Premier League team West Bromwich Albion. Later, he played for Watford and had loan spells at other clubs like Derby County and Preston North End. He also played for Ipswich Town, Crewe Alexandra, and Southport. In 2017, he joined Egerton, where he later became an assistant manager.
Contents
Nathan Ellington's Football Journey
Early Career and Bristol Rovers Success
Nathan Ellington was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He started playing football at a young age with non-League clubs. He made his first team appearance for Tooting & Mitcham United when he was just 16. Later, he moved to Walton & Hersham.
In February 1999, Nathan signed with Bristol Rovers for £150,000. He made his professional debut on February 23, 1999. A few weeks later, on March 6, 1999, he scored his first goal for the team. One of his most memorable moments for Bristol Rovers was scoring three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Premier League side Derby County in the FA Cup on January 6, 2002. This was a big deal because it was the first time a team from the Third Division had beaten a Premier League team in the FA Cup. He scored three hat-tricks for Rovers within a month! Because of his great performance, he was named in the PFA Division Three team of the year for the 2001–02 season.
Joining Wigan Athletic and Promotion
On March 28, 2002, Nathan Ellington joined Wigan Athletic for a club record fee of £1.2 million. He quickly made an impact, scoring in his very first game for Wigan on April 6, 2002. He also scored in his first home game a week later.
Nathan scored his only hat-trick for Wigan against West Bromwich Albion in a League Cup match on October 2, 2002. He was a key player in Wigan's promotion to the Premier League in the 2004–05 season. This was a historic moment as it was the first time Wigan had reached the top division. He was the top scorer in the Football League Championship that season. He and his teammate Jason Roberts were both named in the PFA Championship team of the season. Nathan became a highly sought-after player in English football.
Time at West Bromwich Albion
On August 16, 2005, Nathan Ellington joined West Bromwich Albion for over £3 million. He made his Premier League debut for West Brom on August 24, 2005, against Chelsea. He scored his first goals for the club with two goals in a League Cup win against Bradford City on September 20, 2005.
His first Premier League goals came in a 4–0 win against Everton, where he scored twice. In June 2006, West Bromwich Albion turned down an offer from Wigan Athletic to re-sign him. Nathan struggled to settle in the area and asked to leave the club in January 2007. However, he stayed and returned to the first team. He won West Brom's "Goal of the Season" award for a fantastic goal against Cardiff City on February 20, 2007. He helped West Brom reach the play-offs that season. He played his last game for West Brom on August 28, 2007, scoring in a League Cup win against Peterborough United. Overall, he scored 20 goals in 81 games for West Bromwich Albion.
Moving to Watford and Loan Spells
On August 29, 2007, Nathan Ellington signed a four-year deal with Watford for a club record fee of £3.25 million. He made his Watford debut three days later. His first goal for Watford came on January 19, 2008, in a 1–1 draw against Charlton Athletic.
Loan to Derby County
On May 30, 2008, Nathan joined Derby County on a season-long loan. He had a great start, scoring three goals in a League Cup match against Lincoln City on August 12. He scored his first league goal for Derby on October 4, a late winner against Norwich City. He also scored a penalty in the League Cup quarter-finals against Stoke City, helping Derby reach the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years. Nathan finished as one of the top scorers in the 2008–09 League Cup with 6 goals. After his loan, he returned to Watford.
Loan to Preston North End
In January 2011, Nathan Ellington joined Preston North End on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season. He made his debut as a substitute against Leicester City. He scored his first goal for Preston in the last minute of a game against Coventry City.
Later Career and Retirement
In June 2011, Nathan signed a two-year contract with Ipswich Town. He later had a loan spell at Scunthorpe United. In March 2013, he joined Crewe Alexandra and played eight league games before leaving in July 2013.
In October 2013, he signed for Southport, a non-League team, but left two months later. By March 2015, Nathan Ellington had retired from playing professional football. In November 2017, he signed for Egerton and became their assistant manager in July 2018.
Personal Life and Beliefs
In 2005, Nathan Ellington married Alma, a woman from Tuzla, Bosnia. Before their marriage, he learned about Islam and became a Muslim.
In 2011, he started the Association of Muslim Footballers. This group helps Muslim players and their families connect. It also highlights positive Muslim role models in professional football. The association works to improve relationships between players of different beliefs. Nathan has spoken about how Ramadan affects his football. He explained that he would make up for missed fasting days when playing away matches. He found that the early morning meal, called suhoor, helped him stay hydrated and get nutrients for training.
Nathan is nicknamed The Duke, inspired by the famous jazz musician Duke Ellington. His cousin, Lee Ellington, is also a footballer.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Walton & Hersham | 1998–99 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 20 | 9 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 4 | 31 | 13 | |
| Bristol Rovers | 1998–99 | Second Division | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| 1999–00 | Second Division | 37 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| 2000–01 | Second Division | 42 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 51 | 18 | |
| 2001–02 | Third Division | 27 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 21 | |
| Total | 116 | 35 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 138 | 44 | ||
| Wigan Athletic | 2001–02 | Second Division | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | |||
| 2002–03 | Second Division | 42 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 22 | |
| 2003–04 | First Division | 44 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 47 | 19 | ||
| 2004–05 | Championship | 45 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 45 | 24 | ||
| Total | 134 | 59 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 146 | 67 | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2005–06 | Premier League | 31 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | — | 35 | 8 | |
| 2006–07 | Championship | 34 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 11 | |
| 2007–08 | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| Total | 68 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 81 | 20 | ||
| Watford | 2007–08 | Championship | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 38 | 4 | |
| 2008–09 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Championship | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 51 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 56 | 5 | ||
| Derby County (loan) | 2008–09 | Championship | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | — | 32 | 9 | |
| Preston North End (loan) | 2010–11 | Championship | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 2 | |
| Ipswich Town | 2011–12 | Championship | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Scunthorpe United (loan) | 2012–13 | League One | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 2012–13 | League One | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Southport | 2013–14 | Conference Premier | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | |
| Career total | 468 | 128 | 24 | 7 | 27 | 19 | 22 | 8 | 541 | 162 | ||
Awards and Achievements
Wigan Athletic
- Football League Second Division: 2002–03
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2004–05
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
- Nominated for the Best at Sport award at the British Muslim Awards: 2014
