Nigel Adkins facts for kids
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Adkins as Southampton manager in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nigel Howard Adkins | ||
| Date of birth | 11 March 1965 | ||
| Place of birth | Birkenhead, England | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Tranmere Rovers (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Liverpool | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1983–1986 | Tranmere Rovers | 86 | (0) |
| 1986–1993 | Wigan Athletic | 155 | (0) |
| 1993–1996 | Bangor City | 95 | (0) |
| Total | 336 | (0) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1993–1996 | Bangor City | ||
| 2006–2010 | Scunthorpe United | ||
| 2010–2013 | Southampton | ||
| 2013–2014 | Reading | ||
| 2015–2016 | Sheffield United | ||
| 2017–2019 | Hull City | ||
| 2021 | Charlton Athletic | ||
| 2023– | Tranmere Rovers | ||
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Nigel Howard Adkins (born 11 March 1965) is an English football manager and former footballer. He also worked as a physiotherapist. Currently, he is the manager and technical director for Tranmere Rovers.
Adkins played as a goalkeeper for teams like Tranmere Rovers and Wigan Athletic. He started his managing career at Bangor City. Later, he joined Scunthorpe United as a physio. He became their manager and led them to win the League One title in 2007.
He then moved to Southampton and helped them get two promotions in a row, reaching the Premier League. After leaving Southampton, he managed other clubs like Reading, Sheffield United, Hull City, and Charlton Athletic. In 2023, he returned to Tranmere Rovers.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Nigel Adkins started his football journey at Liverpool. However, he didn't play any first-team games there.
In 1983, he joined Tranmere Rovers. He played 86 league games over three years. In 1986, he moved to Wigan Athletic. This is where he played most of his career, with 155 league games between 1986 and 1993.
At 23, he had a serious back injury, which affected his playing career. In 1993, Adkins became a player-manager for Bangor City. He played 95 league games and helped them win two championships. He stopped playing football at age 31, having played 336 league games in total.
After retiring from playing, Adkins studied physiotherapy at the University of Salford. He then worked as a physiotherapist for Scunthorpe United.
Managerial Journey
Leading Bangor City
Nigel Adkins began his managing career in 1993. He was the player-manager for Bangor City in the League of Wales. He led them to win the championship in both the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons. He left the club in early 1996.
Success at Scunthorpe United
In November 2006, Adkins became the temporary manager for Scunthorpe United. He was already the club's physiotherapist. On 7 December 2006, he was made the permanent manager. Fans even chanted, "Who needs Mourinho, we've got our physio!"
Adkins guided Scunthorpe to get promoted from League One to the Championship in April 2007. They also won the League One title, which was a big achievement for the club.
The next season, Scunthorpe was relegated (moved down a division). But they quickly returned to the Championship in May 2009 by winning the League One play-offs. They also played in the Football League Trophy final that season. Adkins helped Scunthorpe stay in the Championship the following season.
Southampton's Rise to the Premier League
Adkins joined Southampton on 12 September 2010. He signed a three-year contract. His first win came in his third game, a 1–0 victory against Sheffield Wednesday.
He quickly improved Southampton's performance. By November 2010, he had guided them into the play-off spots in League One. They had a great run of six home wins in a row.
In January 2011, Southampton beat Exeter City 4–0, moving into the top two. They also beat Premier League team Blackpool in the FA Cup. Adkins helped the team achieve a club record for clean sheets (games without letting in a goal).
On 7 May 2011, Adkins led Southampton to promotion into the Championship. This was his third League One promotion as a manager. He also won the League One Manager of the Month award for April 2011.
In the Championship, Adkins continued his success. Southampton started strong, winning their first league game against Leeds United. They set a club record of ten consecutive league wins.
Southampton secured promotion to the Premier League on the last day of the season. They beat Coventry City 4–0. Adkins was the first Southampton manager to achieve back-to-back promotions.
His first Premier League match as Southampton manager was on 19 August 2012. They lost 3–2 to Manchester City. His first Premier League win came on 22 September 2012, beating Aston Villa 4–1.
On 18 January 2013, Adkins was replaced as Southampton manager.
Time at Reading
On 26 March 2013, Adkins became the manager of Reading, another Premier League club. His first game was a 4–1 loss to Arsenal. He could not prevent Reading from being relegated.
Reading started the 2013–14 season in the Championship. Adkins was sacked on 15 December 2014.
Sheffield United and Hull City
On 2 June 2015, Adkins was appointed manager of Sheffield United in League One. The team finished 11th that season, their lowest league position since 1983. Adkins was sacked on 12 May 2016.
On 7 December 2017, Adkins became the manager of Hull City in the Championship. He signed an 18-month contract. Hull City was in 20th place when he took over. His first game was a 3–2 win against Brentford. Hull City finished 18th that season.
In his first full season, Adkins led Hull City to a 13th-place finish. He won the Manager of the Month award for December. On 8 June 2019, Adkins decided not to renew his contract with Hull City.
Charlton Athletic
On 18 March 2021, Adkins was appointed manager of Charlton Athletic. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. However, he left the club on 21 October 2021 after a difficult start to the season.
Return to Tranmere Rovers
On 7 May 2023, Adkins returned to Tranmere Rovers. He started as a technical director and advisor. On 10 September 2023, he became the interim manager. He was then appointed permanent manager on 2 November 2023.
Managerial Style
Nigel Adkins is known for his great leadership skills. Former players have praised him for how he manages people. They say he is good at making his players believe in themselves and feel confident.
Personal Life
Nigel Adkins is married to Angie. They have two children together.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Bangor City | 1 June 1993 | 4 February 1996 | 134 | 75 | 25 | 34 | 55.97 | |
| Scunthorpe United | 6 November 2006 | 12 September 2010 | 199 | 83 | 44 | 72 | 41.71 | |
| Southampton | 12 September 2010 | 18 January 2013 | 124 | 68 | 25 | 31 | 54.84 | |
| Reading | 26 March 2013 | 15 December 2014 | 80 | 29 | 20 | 31 | 36.25 | |
| Sheffield United | 2 June 2015 | 12 May 2016 | 54 | 22 | 14 | 18 | 40.74 | |
| Hull City | 7 December 2017 | 30 June 2019 | 78 | 26 | 21 | 31 | 33.33 | |
| Charlton Athletic | 18 March 2021 | 21 October 2021 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 34.62 | |
| Tranmere Rovers | 10 September 2023 | Present | 74 | 25 | 14 | 35 | 33.78 | |
| Total | 769 | 336 | 170 | 263 | 43.69 | |||
Honours and Achievements
As Player-Manager
Bangor City
- League of Wales: 1993–94, 1994–95
- Welsh League Cup runner-up: 1993–94
As Manager
Scunthorpe United
- Football League One: 2006–07 (Champions); play-offs: 2009 (Winners)
- Football League Trophy runner-up: 2008–09
Southampton
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2011–12
- Football League One runner-up: 2010–11
Individual Awards
- League of Wales Manager of the Season: 1993–94, 1994–95
- Football League One Manager of the Month: February 2007, April 2011, December 2015
- Member of the Welsh Premier League Hall of Fame
See also
In Spanish: Nigel Adkins para niños
