Nigel Adkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nigel Adkins

Adkins as Southampton manager in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Nigel Howard Adkins
Date of birth	(1965-03-11) 11 March 1965 (age 60)
Place of birth	Birkenhead, England
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
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)
Managerial career
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
2023–2025	Tranmere Rovers
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nigel Howard Adkins (born 11 March 1965) is an English professional football manager and former footballer. He also worked as a physiotherapist. He was most recently the manager and technical director at Tranmere Rovers.

Nigel Adkins played as a goalkeeper for teams like Tranmere Rovers and Wigan Athletic. He started his coaching career at Bangor City. Later, he joined Scunthorpe United as their physio before becoming their manager. He led Scunthorpe to win the League One title in 2007.

He also helped Southampton get promoted twice 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, first as a technical director and then as manager. He left Tranmere in February 2025.

Playing Career Highlights

Nigel Adkins started his football journey at Liverpool. However, he did not play any first-team games there.

Early Club Appearances

In 1983, he joined Tranmere Rovers. He played 86 league games for them over three years. In 1986, he moved to Wigan Athletic. This is where he spent most of his playing career. He played 155 league games for Wigan between 1986 and 1993.

Injury and Retirement

At age 23, Nigel suffered a serious back injury. This injury affected his playing career. In 1993, he joined Bangor City as a player-manager. He played 95 league games there. He also led them to win championships in a row. He left Bangor City in 1996. Nigel Adkins stopped playing football at age 31. He had played 336 league games in his 13-year career.

Life After Playing

After retiring from playing, Adkins studied physiotherapy. He earned a degree from the University of Salford. He then joined the physiotherapy team at Scunthorpe United.

Managerial Journey

Nigel Adkins has managed several football clubs. He is known for helping teams get promoted to higher leagues.

Bangor City Success

Adkins began his coaching career in 1993. He was the player-manager for Bangor City. This club played in the League of Wales. He led them to win the championship in the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons. He left the club in February 1996.

Scunthorpe United Promotions

In November 2006, Adkins became the caretaker manager at Scunthorpe United. He was the club's physiotherapist before this. On 7 December 2006, he became the permanent manager. Scunthorpe fans even chanted, "Who needs Mourinho, we've got our physio!"

Adkins helped Scunthorpe get promoted from League One to the Championship. They secured promotion on 14 April 2007. They also won the League One title, returning to the second tier after over 40 years.

Scunthorpe was relegated from the Championship the next season. But they quickly returned in May 2009. They won the League One play-offs at Wembley Stadium. They also played in the Football League Trophy final that season. The team managed to stay in the Championship the next season. They finished 20th, avoiding relegation.

Southampton's Rise to the Premier League

Adkins joined Southampton on 12 September 2010. He signed a three-year contract. His former assistant, Andy Crosby, joined him there. He got his first win in his third game, beating Sheffield Wednesday 1–0.

He guided Southampton into the play-off spots in League One. This happened after a 4–0 win over Dagenham & Redbridge in November 2010. The team then joined the race for promotion. In their 125th anniversary match, Adkins' side beat Peterborough United 4–1. This was their sixth home win in a row.

Adkins led his team into the top two for the first time in January 2011. They beat Exeter City 4–0. A week later, they beat Premier League team Blackpool in the FA Cup. Three days later, they won 6–0 against Oldham Athletic. This was their fifth win in a row.

Under Adkins, the Saints set a club record for clean sheets in one season. They beat the old record of 19 set by Peter Shilton. Adkins guided his team to promotion to the Championship. They won 3–1 against Walsall on 7 May 2011. This was his third League One promotion as a manager. He won the League One Manager of the Month award for April 2011.

Championship Success and Premier League Debut

Southampton then broke a 12-year streak of not winning on the opening day of the season. They beat Leeds United 3–1. This sent them to second place in the Championship. Adkins also led Southampton to seven wins in a row, a new club record. They extended this record to ten wins in a row.

Despite a tough period around Christmas, Adkins guided Southampton to a 12-game unbeaten run. This kept them in the top two. The Saints finally 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.

Adkins managed his first Premier League match on 19 August 2012. Southampton lost 3–2 to Manchester City. His first Premier League win came on 22 September 2012. They beat Aston Villa 4–1.

In January 2013, Adkins was replaced as Southampton manager by Mauricio Pochettino.

Time at Reading

On 26 March 2013, Adkins became the manager of Reading. They were also a Premier League club. His first game ended in a 4–1 loss to Arsenal. Adkins could not prevent Reading from being relegated. They started the 2013–14 season in the Championship. On 15 December 2014, Adkins was sacked. This happened after a 6–1 defeat to Birmingham.

Sheffield United and Hull City

On 2 June 2015, Adkins was appointed manager at Sheffield United. They were a League One club. Sheffield United finished the season in 11th place. This was their lowest league position since 1983. Adkins was sacked on 12 May 2016.

On 7 December 2017, Adkins became the manager of Championship club Hull City. He signed an 18-month contract. He took over when Hull City was in 20th place. His first game was a 3–2 win over Brentford. Hull City finished the season in 18th place. In his first full season, Adkins led Hull City to a 13th-place finish. He won the divisional Manager of the Month award for December. On 8 June 2019, Adkins decided not to renew his contract.

Charlton Athletic and Tranmere Rovers Return

On 18 March 2021, Adkins was appointed manager of Charlton Athletic. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. On 21 October 2021, Adkins left Charlton Athletic. This was after a difficult start to the 2021–22 season.

On 7 May 2023, Adkins returned to Tranmere Rovers. He became a technical director and advisor. On 10 September 2023, Adkins was appointed interim manager. He became the permanent manager on 2 November 2023. He signed a contract until the end of the 2025–26 season. On 26 February 2025, Adkins left Tranmere by mutual agreement. This decision followed a ten-game winless streak.

Managerial Style

Former players have praised Adkins for his management style. They said he was good at building belief in his players. He also helped his teams feel confident.

Personal Life

Nigel Adkins is married to Angie. They have two children together.

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Awards

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; play-offs: 2009
• 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