Nigel Worthington facts for kids
Worthington as manager of York City in 2013
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nigel Worthington | ||
| Date of birth | 4 November 1961 | ||
| Place of birth | Ballymena, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender / Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1979–1981 | Ballymena United | 80 | (4) |
| 1981–1984 | Notts County | 67 | (4) |
| 1984–1994 | Sheffield Wednesday | 338 | (12) |
| 1994–1996 | Leeds United | 43 | (1) |
| 1996–1997 | Stoke City | 12 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Blackpool | 9 | (0) |
| Total | 549 | (21) | |
| National team | |||
| Northern Ireland U18 | 14 | (0) | |
| 1984–1997 | Northern Ireland | 66 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1997–1999 | Blackpool | ||
| 2000–2006 | Norwich City | ||
| 2007 | Leicester City (caretaker) | ||
| 2007–2011 | Northern Ireland | ||
| 2013–2014 | York City | ||
|
|||
Nigel Worthington, born on 4 November 1961, is a former professional footballer from Northern Ireland. He played as a defender and a midfielder. He was also a football manager, most recently for York City.
Worthington played for several clubs during his career. These included Ballymena United, Notts County, Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United, Stoke City, and Blackpool. A big highlight was winning the League Cup with Sheffield Wednesday in 1991. He also played for his country, earning 66 appearances for Northern Ireland. He even played for them in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
After his playing days, Worthington became a manager. He started as a player-manager at Blackpool in 1997. Later, he managed Norwich City from 2000 to 2006. He led Norwich to the Premier League in the 2003–04 season, winning the First Division title. He also had short periods as caretaker manager for Leicester City and managed the Northern Ireland national team from 2007 to 2011. His last managing job was with York City.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Nigel Worthington was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. He started his football journey with his hometown club, Ballymena United, in 1979. He was recognized as the Ulster Football Writers Young Player of the Year in 1981.
Moving to English Football
On 1 July 1981, Worthington moved to England. He joined Notts County for a fee of £100,000. He played as a left-back and a midfielder.
Time at Sheffield Wednesday
Worthington signed with Sheffield Wednesday on 6 February 1984. The fee was £125,000. He stayed with the club for more than 10 years. In the 1983–84 season, his team earned promotion to the First Division. They finished as runners-up in the Second Division.
A big moment came in the 1990–91 season. Worthington was part of the team that won the League Cup. They also got promoted back to the First Division that year. Two years later, in 1993, his team reached the 1993 FA Cup Final but lost.
Later Club Years
After his long spell at Sheffield Wednesday, Worthington moved to Leeds United. He joined them on 4 July 1994 for £325,000. He played there for two seasons. Then, on 18 July 1996, he moved to Stoke City on a free transfer. He spent one season with Stoke City.
International Football
Nigel Worthington played for the Northern Ireland national under-18 team 14 times. His first game for the senior national team was on 22 May 1984. It was a 1–1 draw against Wales. This match was special because it was the last ever British Home Championship game. Northern Ireland won the trophy that day.
World Cup Appearance
Worthington helped Northern Ireland qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He played in one qualifying match and came on as a substitute in three others. In the World Cup itself, he started two of Northern Ireland's three matches. These were against Algeria and Spain.
He was the captain for Northern Ireland from 1995 to 1996. His 66th and final game for his country was on 11 February 1997. It was a 3–0 win against Belgium in a friendly match.
Managerial Career
Nigel Worthington started his coaching journey as a player-manager at Blackpool on 8 July 1997. He soon stopped playing to focus only on managing. He managed Blackpool for two and a half seasons. He resigned on 23 December 1999 because the team's performance dropped. He felt he had taken the club as far as he could.
Norwich City Manager
After helping the England under-21 team, Worthington joined Norwich City. He became assistant manager on 27 June 2000. He also worked as assistant manager for the Northern Ireland national under-21 team.
On 4 December, he became caretaker manager at Norwich. This happened after the previous manager resigned. On 2 January 2001, he was made the permanent manager. He successfully saved the club from being relegated. In his first full season, 2001–02, Norwich reached the First Division play-off final. They lost to Birmingham City in a penalty shoot-out.
Premier League Promotion
The 2003–04 season was a great success. Worthington led Norwich to the Premier League. They won the First Division championship. They set a club record with 94 points.
However, the 2004–05 season was tough. With one match left, Norwich was just one point above the relegation zone. After a big 6–0 loss to Fulham, they were relegated. They finished 19th in the league.
In 2005–06, many expected Norwich to return to the Premier League quickly. But the team did not perform as expected. They finished ninth in the Championship. Some fans wanted Worthington to leave. After a 4–1 loss to Burnley on 1 October, Worthington was sacked. The team was 17th in the table.
Leicester City and Northern Ireland
On 11 April 2007, Worthington became caretaker manager for Leicester City. The club was struggling in the Championship. He helped Leicester avoid relegation. He wanted to become the permanent manager, but the job went to someone else.
Worthington was then appointed manager of the Northern Ireland national team on 1 June 2007. This was a short-term contract at first. Northern Ireland was leading their qualification group at the time. Even though they finished third, he was given a two-year contract in January 2008. This contract was renewed in 2010. He stepped down on 11 October 2011 after a difficult qualification campaign for Euro 2012.
York City Manager
On 4 March 2013, Worthington became the manager of League Two club York City. His first game was a 3–2 loss. On the last day of the season, York won 1–0. This win secured their place in League Two. They finished 17th.
He signed a new contract on 3 May. In the 2013–14 season, York reached the League Two play-offs. However, they lost to Fleetwood Town in the semi-final. Worthington resigned on 13 October 2014. He said that the team's performances had not been good enough.
Personal Life
Nigel Worthington married Sandra Hopkins in Nottingham in 1983. His cousin is also a well-known football manager, Brendan Rodgers.
Honours and Awards
Nigel Worthington achieved several successes during his playing and managing careers.
As a Player
- Ballymena United
- Irish Cup: 1980–81
- Ulster Cup: 1980–81
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Football League Second Division runner-up: 1983–84
- Second Division third-place promotion: 1990–91
- Football League Cup: 1990–91
- Leeds United
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1995–96
As a Manager
- Norwich City
- First Division: 2003–04
- Individual Awards
- Football League Two Manager of the Month: April 2013, March 2014
Images for kids
-
Worthington as manager of York City in 2013
