Nicky Butt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nicky Butt

Butt playing for Newcastle United in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Nicholas Butt
Date of birth	(1975-01-21) 21 January 1975 (age 50)
Place of birth	Gorton, Manchester, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	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	139	(17)
2005–2006	→ Birmingham City (loan)	24	(3)
2010–2011	South China	3	(1)
Total		436	(42)
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)
Medal record Representing  England Men's football FIFA World Youth Championship Third 1993 Australia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nicholas Butt (born January 21, 1975) is a famous English football coach and former player. He was recently in charge of developing young players for Manchester United. He also helps own a football club called Salford City.

Nicky played football professionally as a midfielder from 1992 to 2011. Most of his career was with Manchester United. There, he won many big trophies. These included six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League.

Later, he played for Newcastle United. He also spent one season on loan at Birmingham City. He finished his playing days in Hong Kong with South China. There, he won the Hong Kong League Cup.

Nicky also played for the England national team 39 times between 1997 and 2004. He even played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and was selected for UEFA Euro 2004.

Nicky Butt's Playing Career

Starting at Manchester United

Butt on the sidelines at Old Trafford in March 2004

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 senior game in the 1992–93 season. This was on November 21, 1992, against Oldham Athletic. He really became a regular player in the 1994–95 season. He often filled in for Roy Keane when he was injured or suspended.

One of his early big games was an FA Cup semi-final in April 1994. Manchester United lost the FA Cup final to Everton that year. Nicky played in that final.

The Class of '92

When Paul Ince left in 1995, manager Alex Ferguson chose Nicky to take his place. Nicky was part of a special group of young players. They were called Fergie's Fledglings. These players had won the FA Youth Cup in 1992.

This group included famous players like David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Paul Scholes. They all played for Manchester United for many years. They helped the club win many major trophies. Manchester United became a very strong team in English football.

Nicky played very well in his first few seasons as a regular. He scored important goals. For example, he scored against Liverpool in 1995. He also helped Manchester United win against Arsenal in 1996.

He was also a reliable replacement for Roy Keane when Keane was injured. Nicky even won a PFA Team of the Year award in 1998. However, as Paul Scholes moved to midfield, Nicky's chances to start games became less frequent. He often came on as a substitute.

Winning Many Trophies

Nicky still won many awards with Manchester United. In 1999, the club achieved a unique treble. They won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. Nicky played the entire Champions League Final because Roy Keane was suspended.

By the time he left Old Trafford, Nicky had won six Premier League titles. He also had three FA Cup winner's medals. And he had a Champions League winner's medal. He also got an FA Cup runner-up medal in 1995.

Moving to Newcastle United

Nicky asked to leave Manchester United in January 2004. He then joined Newcastle United in July 2004. The fee was £2.5 million. He signed a four-year contract. He was seen as a replacement for Gary Speed.

His first season, 2004–05, was difficult due to injuries. Fans were also unhappy after a big loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final. In August 2005, he went on a season-long loan to Birmingham City. His former teammate Steve Bruce was the manager there.

After Birmingham was relegated, Nicky returned to Newcastle. Glenn Roeder was the new manager. Nicky started to play much better. He scored two goals in a friendly game against Villarreal. There was talk that Roy Keane wanted to sign him for Sunderland. But Nicky stayed at Newcastle.

Butt with Newcastle teammate Obafemi Martins in 2007

In the 2006–07 season, Nicky played a much bigger role. He played in a defensive midfield position. This allowed other players like Scott Parker to attack more. In January 2007, he scored his first Newcastle goal in over two years. It was the winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur.

He even captained Newcastle in a UEFA Cup match. His good form continued. He won the man of the match award against Arsenal in April. By the end of the season, fans widely agreed he had won them over.

Nicky continued to be important in the 2007–08 season. He signed a new contract in December. He said he wanted to finish his career at Newcastle. He also started the season as captain when Michael Owen was injured.

He played his 100th league game for Newcastle in December 2008. Newcastle was relegated that season. This meant Nicky's record of playing in every Premier League season ended.

Captaining Newcastle and Retirement

Nicky became the permanent club captain for the 2009–10 season. This was his first season outside the top division. However, Alan Smith often wore the captain's armband too. Nicky played fewer games but still did his job well.

The club won promotion back to the Premier League. They also won the Championship title. Nicky announced his retirement before Newcastle's last home game. He lifted the Championship trophy with Alan Smith.

After leaving Newcastle, former manager Chris Hughton suggested Nicky should go into coaching.

Playing in Hong Kong

Butt playing for South China against TSW Pegasus in the Hong Kong League Cup final, 2011

On November 6, 2010, the chairman of Hong Kong club South China said they expected Nicky to sign. Nicky signed with South China on November 22. He wore the No. 8 shirt. His first game was a 2–1 win against TSW Pegasus. Nicky scored from a free-kick in that game.

After leaving South China, he played in Gary Neville's farewell match in May 2011. He played alongside Paul Scholes and David Beckham. He also played in Eric Cantona's New York Cosmos team for Paul Scholes' farewell match in August 2011.

International Career with England

Nicky played five times for England's under-21 team. He earned his first senior England cap in the 1996–97 season against Mexico. He became a regular member of the squad. He was a reliable backup for the central midfield positions.

An injury to Steven Gerrard before the 2002 FIFA World Cup gave Nicky his chance. He started alongside Manchester United teammates David Beckham and Paul Scholes. Before England's quarter-final game against Brazil, the legendary player Pelé called him "the best player of the England squad." This was a great compliment to his hard work. England lost to Brazil 2–1 and left the World Cup.

After the World Cup, he returned to being a squad player. He provided experienced cover for Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. He was chosen for UEFA Euro 2004, but he missed the tournament due to an injury. His last international game was a friendly against Spain in November 2004. In total, he played 39 times for England.

After Playing Football

Coaching Career

In October 2012, Nicky returned to Manchester United. He became a coach for the club's reserve team. In February 2016, he was made head of the academy. This happened a few months after Brian McClair left.

From November 2016, he was the interim coach for the under-23 team. This was after Warren Joyce left to manage Wigan Athletic. He also briefly helped Ryan Giggs. Giggs was the interim manager of the Manchester United first team after David Moyes left.

In July 2019, Manchester United changed their coaching staff. Nicky became the head of first-team development. He worked directly with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. His job was to help young players move from the youth team to the first team. Nick Cox took over as head of the academy. In March 2021, Nicky announced he was leaving Manchester United. He had been there for nine years in various coaching roles.

Business Ventures

In 2014, Nicky, along with former Manchester United players Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, and Phil Neville, bought Salford City. They planned to help the club reach the Football League. The group played a special friendly match. Salford faced a team made up of the Class of '92 players. In September, they sold a 50% share of the club to billionaire Peter Lim.

On October 31, 2022, Salford City announced Nicky as the club's chief executive officer. He took over from Gary Neville. On October 15, 2024, Nicky announced he was stepping down as CEO. He wanted to look for new coaching opportunities.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Honours and Awards

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
• The Telegraph: The Premier League's 100 Best Players (No. 69)

See also

In Spanish: Nicky Butt para niños