Nicky Butt facts for kids
Butt playing for Newcastle United in 2009
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Nicholas Butt | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 January 1975 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gorton, Manchester, England | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Salford City (chief executive officer) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Manchester United | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–2004 | Manchester United | 270 | (21) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2010 | Newcastle United | 134 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 24 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | South China | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 431 | (30) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | England U18 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1992 | England U19 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | England U21 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–2004 | England | 39 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Manchester United U23 (interim) | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Nicholas "Nicky" Butt (born 21 January 1975) is an English football coach and former player. He was most recently the head of first-team development at Manchester United. He is also a co-owner and chief executive officer of Salford City.
Butt played professional football as a midfielder from 1992 to 2011. He spent most of his career with Manchester United. There, he won many big trophies. These include six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League.
Later, Butt moved to Newcastle United in 2004. He also played for Birmingham City on loan. He finished his playing career in Hong Kong with South China. With South China, he won the Hong Kong League Cup.
Nicky Butt also played for the England national team. He played 39 games for England between 1997 and 2004. He was part of the England squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Manchester United
Nicky Butt was born in Gorton, Manchester. He started his football journey at Manchester United. He was a key player in their youth team. He became a professional player in 1993.
He played his first game for the main team in the 1992–93 season. This was in a Premier League match against Oldham Athletic in November 1992. He became a regular player in the 1994–95 season. He often played when star midfielder Roy Keane was injured or suspended.
The Class of '92
Nicky Butt was part of a special group of young Manchester United players. They were known as Fergie's Fledglings. This name came from their manager, Alex Ferguson. These players had won the FA Youth Cup in 1992. They slowly joined the main team over the next few years.
Other famous players from this group included David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Paul Scholes. They all played for Manchester United for many years. Together, they helped the club win many major trophies. They made Manchester United a very strong team in English football.
Nicky Butt played very well in his first seasons as a regular player. He often started games and scored important goals. For example, he scored against Liverpool in 1995. He also helped Manchester United win the amazing treble in 1999. This meant they won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League all in one season! Butt played in the Champions League Final because Roy Keane was suspended.
By the time he left Manchester United, Butt had won six Premier League titles. He also won three FA Cups and one Champions League trophy.
Moving to Newcastle United
In July 2004, Nicky Butt joined Newcastle United. He signed a four-year deal. He was seen as a replacement for Gary Speed.
His first season at Newcastle was tough due to injuries. He also went on loan to Birmingham City for the 2005–06 season. After Birmingham was relegated, Butt returned to Newcastle.
In the 2006–07 season, Butt played a much bigger role at Newcastle. He played in a defensive midfield position. This allowed other players like Scott Parker to attack more. He even scored his first Newcastle goal in over two years against Tottenham Hotspur.
Butt's good form continued, and he often captained Newcastle when Parker was injured. By the end of the season, many fans felt he had truly won them over. He continued to be an important player for Newcastle. He played his 100th league game for the club in December 2008.
In the 2009–10 season, Butt became the permanent club captain. Newcastle won promotion back to the Premier League that season. They also won the Championship title. Butt announced his retirement from English football before the last home game. He lifted the Championship trophy with vice-captain Alan Smith.
Playing in Hong Kong
After leaving Newcastle, Nicky Butt decided to play abroad. On 22 November 2010, he signed with South China, a club in Hong Kong. He wore the number 8 shirt.
His first game for South China was a 2–1 win against TSW Pegasus. Butt even scored a goal from a free kick in that match. He helped South China win the Hong Kong League Cup.
International Career for England
Nicky Butt played for England's youth teams before joining the senior team. He played five times for the England Under-21 team. He earned his first senior England cap in the 1996–97 season against Mexico. He became a regular player in the squad. He was a reliable backup for the central midfield positions.
A key moment for Butt came before the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Another midfielder, Steven Gerrard, got injured. This gave Butt a chance to start in the team. He played alongside his Manchester United teammates David Beckham and Paul Scholes.
Before England's quarter-final game against Brazil, the famous Brazilian player Pelé praised Butt. Pelé called him "the best player of the England squad." This showed how well Butt was playing in his defensive midfield role. England lost to Brazil 2–1 in that match.
After the World Cup, he continued to be a squad player. He provided experienced cover for midfielders like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. He was chosen for UEFA Euro 2004, but he missed the tournament due to an injury. His last game for England was in November 2004 against Spain. In total, he played 39 times for England.
After Playing Football
Coaching Career
In October 2012, Nicky Butt returned to Manchester United. He started coaching the club's reserve team. In February 2016, he became the head of the club's youth academy.
From November 2016, he also worked as an interim coach for the Under-23 team. In July 2019, Manchester United changed their coaching setup. Butt became the head of first-team development. His job was to help young players move from the youth team to the main team. In March 2021, Butt announced he would leave Manchester United after nine years in various coaching roles.
Business Ventures
In 2014, Nicky Butt joined some of his former Manchester United teammates. These included Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Gary and Phil Neville. They all agreed to buy Salford City football club. Their goal was to help the club reach the Football League.
In October 2022, Salford City announced that Butt would become the club's chief executive officer (CEO). He took over from Gary Neville. In October 2024, Butt announced he was stepping down as CEO. He wanted to look for new coaching opportunities.
Honours and Achievements
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03
- FA Cup: 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
- FA Community Shield: 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003
- UEFA Champions League: 1998–99
- Intercontinental Cup: 1999
Newcastle United
- Football League Championship: 2009–10
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
South China
- Hong Kong League Cup: 2010–11
England U18
- UEFA European Under-18 Championship: 1993
Individual Awards
- Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year: 1993–94
- PFA Team of the Year: 1997–98 Premier League
- Newcastle United Player of the Year: 2006–07
See also
In Spanish: Nicky Butt para niños
