Nigel Pearson facts for kids
Pearson at Leicester City training in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nigel Graham Pearson | ||
| Date of birth | 21 August 1963 | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1981 | Heanor Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1981–1987 | Shrewsbury Town | 153 | (5) |
| 1987–1994 | Sheffield Wednesday | 180 | (14) |
| 1994–1998 | Middlesbrough | 116 | (5) |
| Total | 449 | (24) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Carlisle United | ||
| 2006 | West Bromwich Albion (caretaker) | ||
| 2007 | England U21 (caretaker) | ||
| 2007 | Newcastle United (caretaker) | ||
| 2008 | Newcastle United (caretaker) | ||
| 2008 | Southampton | ||
| 2008–2010 | Leicester City | ||
| 2010–2011 | Hull City | ||
| 2011–2015 | Leicester City | ||
| 2016 | Derby County | ||
| 2017–2019 | OH Leuven | ||
| 2019–2020 | Watford | ||
| 2021–2023 | Bristol City | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nigel Graham Pearson (born 21 August 1963) is an English football manager and former professional player. He was most recently the manager of Championship club Bristol City.
During his playing career, Nigel was a strong defender. He played for teams like Shrewsbury Town, Sheffield Wednesday, and Middlesbrough. As a manager, he has led many clubs, including Hull City, Southampton, and Leicester City. He also worked as an assistant manager for the England Under-21s and Newcastle United.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Shrewsbury Town
Nigel Pearson was born in Nottingham, England. He started his football journey with a non-league team called Heanor Town. In November 1981, he joined Shrewsbury Town. He made his first-team debut in August 1982.
His first goal for Shrewsbury Town came in March 1983. He played in almost all their games that season. Over six years, he played 181 matches for Shrewsbury Town, scoring five goals.
Success with Sheffield Wednesday
In 1987, Pearson moved to Sheffield Wednesday. He became captain and led the team to win the League Cup in the 1990–91 season. He was even named "Man of the Match" in the final at Wembley Stadium.
That same season, he helped Sheffield Wednesday get promoted to the top division. He also helped them reach two cup finals in the 1992–93 season. However, he broke his leg and couldn't play in those finals. Overall, he played over 200 games for Sheffield Wednesday.
Time at Middlesbrough
In 1994, Nigel Pearson joined Middlesbrough. He became captain there too. He led the team to get promoted twice. He also helped them reach three domestic cup finals. Pearson stopped playing professional football in 1998.
Managerial Journey
Early Management Roles
Nigel Pearson started his managerial career at Carlisle United. He helped the club stay in the Football League during the 1998–99 season. In a famous moment, their goalkeeper, Jimmy Glass, scored a goal in the last seconds of the final match. This goal saved Carlisle from being relegated.
After Carlisle, Pearson worked as a coach at Stoke City. He then became assistant manager at West Bromwich Albion. He even took over as caretaker manager for a short time in 2006.
He also served as assistant manager for Newcastle United. In 2007, he was confirmed as assistant coach for the England U21 team. He even led the U21s in a match against Italy at the new Wembley Stadium. He had a few more short caretaker spells at Newcastle before leaving in 2008.
Saving Southampton from Relegation
In February 2008, Pearson became the manager of Southampton. The team was struggling and close to being relegated. In the very last game of the season, Southampton needed a win to stay in the Championship.
Pearson's team made an amazing comeback, winning 3–2. This victory kept Southampton in the Championship. He left the club after three months, having achieved his goal.
First Spell at Leicester City
In June 2008, Pearson was appointed manager of Leicester City. At the time, Leicester was in League One, the third tier of English football. He quickly made a positive impact.
Leicester went on an impressive 23-match unbeaten run in the league. On 18 April 2009, Leicester won their game and were confirmed as League One champions. They earned promotion back to the Championship. The team finished the season with a club-record 96 points.
In their first season back in the Championship, Leicester finished 5th. This earned them a spot in the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League. They lost in the semi-final after a penalty shoot-out. Pearson had some disagreements with the club's leaders during this time. In 2010, he left Leicester to join Hull City.
Managing Hull City
Pearson became Hull City's manager in June 2010. Despite financial challenges, he brought in new players. His team achieved a club record of 14 consecutive away games without defeat. Hull finished the season in 11th place. In November 2011, Pearson asked to speak to his former club, Leicester City.
Return to Leicester City
Nigel Pearson returned to Leicester City as manager in November 2011. The club had new owners. Leicester was 12th in the Championship when he rejoined.
After an inconsistent start, Leicester began to improve. In the 2013–14 season, Leicester played 20 league games without losing. They ended the season as champions, winning promotion to the Premier League.
In February 2015, there were reports that Pearson had been sacked after a match. However, the club quickly said these claims were "inaccurate." Leicester then went on a great run of form in April 2015. On 16 May 2015, Leicester City secured their place in the Premier League. They became only the third team to avoid relegation after being at the bottom of the league at Christmas.
However, on 30 June 2015, Pearson was sacked. The club stated that their "working relationship" was no longer viable. This decision was linked to issues involving his son. The next year, Leicester City, under a new manager, famously won the Premier League title. Many sports journalists and players gave Pearson credit for building the strong team that achieved this.
Later Management Roles
After leaving Leicester, Pearson managed Derby County for a short time in 2016. He left the club after disagreements with the owner.
In September 2017, he became the manager of Oud-Heverlee Leuven in Belgium. He stayed there until February 2019.
Pearson was then appointed manager of Watford in December 2019. He was their third manager that season. On 29 February 2020, under Pearson, Watford defeated league leaders Liverpool 3–0. This was Liverpool's first Premier League loss in 45 games. Pearson was sacked in July 2020, with two games left in the season. Watford was relegated after his departure.
In February 2021, Pearson became manager of Bristol City. He signed a three-year contract in April 2021. He left Bristol City in October 2023.
Personal Life and Interests
Nigel Pearson's grandfather, Percy Mills, also played football. Nigel has faced some health challenges, including recovering from COVID-19 multiple times.
Outside of football, Pearson loves the outdoors. He enjoys hiking and once met a group of wild dogs while hiking in the Carpathian Mountains. In 2022, he bought some ancient woodland in Somerset, which he now takes care of. He also enjoys oil painting and has thought about participating in the Mongol Rally. If he hadn't become a professional footballer, he might have been a navigator in the Royal Air Force.
In late 2023, it was reported that Pearson was dealing with a neurological condition. In December 2024, he shared that he was learning to walk again and that his condition was getting better.
Career Statistics
Playing statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 1982–83 | Second Division | 39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 1 |
| 1983–84 | Second Division | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 1984–85 | Second Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1985–86 | Second Division | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |
| 1986–87 | Second Division | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 3 | |
| 1987–88 | Second Division | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| Total | 153 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 184 | 5 | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1987–88 | First Division | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| 1988–89 | First Division | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 | |
| 1989–90 | First Division | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 1 | |
| 1990–91 | Second Division | 39 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 11 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 180 | 14 | 15 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 224 | 20 | ||
| Middlesbrough | 1994–95 | First Division | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | First Division | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 116 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 139 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 449 | 24 | 30 | 1 | 52 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 547 | 30 | ||
Managerial statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Carlisle United | 17 December 1998 | 17 May 1999 | 30 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 16.67 | |
| West Bromwich Albion (caretaker) | 18 September 2006 | 17 October 2006 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 | |
| England U21 (caretaker) | 24 March 2007 | 24 March 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Newcastle United (caretaker) | 6 May 2007 | 15 May 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Newcastle United (caretaker) | 9 January 2008 | 16 January 2008 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 | |
| Southampton | 18 February 2008 | 30 May 2008 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 21.43 | |
| Leicester City | 20 June 2008 | 29 June 2010 | 107 | 55 | 30 | 22 | 51.40 | |
| Hull City | 29 June 2010 | 15 November 2011 | 64 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 35.94 | |
| Leicester City | 15 November 2011 | 30 June 2015 | 182 | 85 | 38 | 59 | 46.70 | |
| Derby County | 27 May 2016 | 8 October 2016 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 21.43 | |
| OH Leuven | 22 September 2017 | 3 February 2019 | 56 | 18 | 15 | 23 | 32.14 | |
| Watford | 6 December 2019 | 19 July 2020 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 31.82 | |
| Bristol City | 24 February 2021 | 29 October 2023 | 131 | 42 | 32 | 57 | 32.06 | |
| Total | 627 | 245 | 168 | 214 | 39.07 | |||
Awards and Achievements
As a Player
Sheffield Wednesday
- Football League Cup: 1990–91
- Promoted from Football League Second Division: 1990–91
Middlesbrough
- Football League First Division: 1994–95 (Champions)
- Promoted from Football League First Division: 1997–98 (Runner-up)
- FA Cup runner-up: 1996–97
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1996–97, 1997–98
Individual Player Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: 1990–91 (Second Division), 1997–98 (First Division)
As a Manager
Leicester City
- Football League Championship: 2013–14 (Champions)
- Football League One: 2008–09 (Champions)
Individual Manager Awards
- LMA Championship Manager of the Year: 2013–14
- Premier League Manager of the Month: April 2015
- Football League Championship Manager of the Month: February 2010, January 2013, January 2014, March 2014
- Football League One Manager of the Month: August 2008, December 2008
See also
In Spanish: Nigel Pearson para niños
