Steve Nicol facts for kids
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Steve Nicol at the 2005 MLS SuperDraft
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 December 1961 | ||
| Place of birth | Troon, Scotland | ||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||
| Playing position | Right back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1970–1977 | Troon Thistle | ||
| 1977–1979 | Ayr United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1979–1981 | Ayr United | 70 | (7) |
| 1981–1994 | Liverpool | 343 | (36) |
| 1994–1996 | Notts County | 32 | (2) |
| 1996–1998 | Sheffield Wednesday | 49 | (0) |
| 1998 | → West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | Doncaster Rovers | 25 | (0) |
| 1999–2001 | Boston Bulldogs | 41 | (0) |
| Total | 569 | (46) | |
| National team | |||
| 1981–1984 | Scotland U-21 | 14 | (0) |
| 1984–1992 | Scotland | 27 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1995 | Notts County | ||
| 1999 | New England Revolution (interim) | ||
| 2000–2001 | Boston Bulldogs | ||
| 2002–2011 | New England Revolution | ||
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Stephen Nicol (born on December 11, 1961) is a Scottish former professional footballer. He mostly played as a right back, but could also play in other defense and midfield positions. He was a key player for the successful Liverpool teams in the 1980s.
Nicol also played regularly for the Scotland national team. He even represented his country at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He started his career with Ayr United before joining Liverpool in 1981. During his 14 years at Liverpool, he won many major titles. These included five English league championships, three FA Cups, and the 1984 European Cup.
After leaving Liverpool, Nicol played for other English teams. These included Notts County and Sheffield Wednesday. In 1999, he moved to the United States. He later became a coach for the New England Revolution. He was the longest-serving head coach for a single club in MLS. Today, Nicol works as a football commentator for ESPN FC.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Ayr United
Steve Nicol began playing football at age 9 with Troon Thistle. When he was 16, he joined Ayr United. He started playing for their main team in 1979. He spent just over two seasons with the Scottish club. During this time, he played in 70 league games.
In 1981, Liverpool manager Bob Paisley decided to sign Nicol. Liverpool paid £300,000 for him on October 26, 1981. This turned out to be a great deal for the club.
Success with Liverpool
Nicol joined Liverpool in 1981. He had to wait almost a year to play his first senior game. It took him two years to become a regular player. He joined Liverpool during a time when they were very dominant in football.
His first game for Liverpool was on August 31, 1982. It was a 0–0 league draw against Birmingham City. He played in three more league games that season. Liverpool won the league title that year. However, Nicol did not play enough games to get a winner's medal.
Nicol became a regular player in the 1983–84 season. This was under the new manager, Joe Fagan. He scored his first goal for the club on October 22, 1983. It was a 1–0 win against Queens Park Rangers. By the end of this season, he earned a League championship medal.
He did not play in the League Cup final that year. Liverpool won against their rivals Everton. However, he came on as a substitute in the European Cup final. This was against Roma in Rome. The game ended 1-1 and went to a penalty shootout. Nicol missed his penalty, but Liverpool still won the competition.
Winning Trophies and Playing Different Roles
Steve Nicol became a key player for many seasons after that. In 1986, he helped Liverpool win both the league championship and the FA Cup. This is known as winning the "double." They beat Everton to the league title by just two points. Then, they defeated Everton 3–1 in the FA Cup final.
He was also playing for the Scottish national team. He would go on to earn 27 caps and play in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Nicol was a very flexible player. He often played at right back after Phil Neal left in 1985. But he also played at left back, in central defense, and in midfield. Sometimes, he even played as a forward! His teammates called him 'Chopsy' because of how he said the word 'chips'.
In the 1987–88 season, Nicol scored many goals. This was impressive because he played in a defensive position. He scored a memorable hat-trick against Newcastle United. He also scored a fantastic long-range header to win against Arsenal on the first day of the season. Liverpool easily won the league title that year. However, they lost the FA Cup final 1–0 to Wimbledon. Nicol had a chance to score in injury time, but his header went just over the goal.
A year later, Nicol helped Liverpool win the FA Cup again. They beat Everton 3–2 after extra time. But they lost the league title to Arsenal in the very last moments of the season. Despite this, Nicol had a great personal season. He was named Footballer of the Year by football writers.
Difficult Times and More Wins
Steve Nicol and his teammates attended many funerals and memorial services for the 96 fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster. This was a very sad time for the club. Four years earlier, before the 1985 European Cup final, another tragedy happened. At the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, 39 people died. Because of this, English clubs were banned from European competitions for five years. Liverpool was banned for six years. Nicol was one of the few players who stayed with Liverpool until the ban was lifted.
In the 1989–90 season, Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 9–0. This was the club's biggest-ever league win. Nicol was the only player to score twice in that game. Liverpool won the league title again that season. This was their last league title until 2019-20. Two years later, in 1992, Nicol was part of the team that won the FA Cup again. They beat Sunderland 2–0.
He continued to be a regular player for Liverpool until the 1994–95 season. New defenders joined the team, and Nicol played less. His last game for the club was a League Cup match against Burnley in October 1994.
Over 13 years at Anfield, he played 343 league games and scored 36 goals. When he left, he was the player who had been with the club the longest without a break.
Moving to Other English Clubs
On January 20, 1995, Steve Nicol left Liverpool. He joined Notts County as a player and assistant coach. He stayed there for only 10 months, playing 32 games. When the manager was fired, Nicol got his first chance to manage the team. He took charge with two other players for the last few months of the 1994–95 season. But his efforts were not enough to save Notts County from being moved down to a lower division.
After that season, Nicol moved to Sheffield Wednesday in November 1995. He played his first game against his old rivals Everton. A memorable moment for Nicol at Hillsborough was on December 7, 1996. His Sheffield Wednesday team played at his old home ground, Anfield. They managed to stop Liverpool's strong attack and won 1–0. Nicol played a big part in their defense.
Nicol played 49 league games for Sheffield Wednesday. He then had a short loan spell at West Bromwich Albion in the 1997–98 season, playing nine games. After that, he played briefly for Doncaster Rovers.
Moving to America
In 1999, Steve Nicol moved to the U.S. He became a player-coach for the Boston Bulldogs. In September of that year, he became the temporary player-coach for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. He won both of the last two games of the season. He then returned to the Boston Bulldogs as player-coach for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. In 2002, he rejoined the Revolution as an assistant coach.
Playing for Scotland
Steve Nicol first played for the senior Scotland team on September 12, 1984. This was soon after he became a regular player for Liverpool. Jock Stein gave Nicol his first international game in a friendly match against Yugoslavia. It was a memorable debut, as Scotland beat Yugoslavia 6–1. His Liverpool teammates Kenny Dalglish and captain Graeme Souness both scored in that game.
He played his last of 27 games for Scotland on September 11, 1991. It was a 2–2 draw against Switzerland during the Euro 92 qualifiers. He was also part of Scotland's team for the 1986 World Cup.
Coaching Career
Steve Nicol started his coaching career at Notts County F.C. as an assistant coach and player. He became the temporary manager after the main coach was dismissed.
In 1999, Nicol moved to the United States to play for the Boston Bulldogs. He soon became their player-manager.
Coaching the New England Revolution
On September 30, 1999, Nicol became the temporary coach for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. After the 1999 season, Nicol went back to the Boston Bulldogs. But he rejoined the Revolution as an assistant coach on January 10, 2002. On May 23, 2002, Nicol was again named temporary manager.
In his first year as head coach, Nicol led the Revolution to their first-ever MLS Cup final. He was then named MLS Coach of the Year. He officially became the head coach of the Revolution on November 6, 2002.
Nicol became one of the most successful coaches in MLS history. He was the most successful manager in Revolution history. He brought a period of "sustained excellence" to the club during his ten years as head coach.
Under Nicol, the Revolution reached the MLS Eastern Conference Finals every year until 2008. They also reached the MLS Cup final in 2005, 2006, and 2007. They made the playoffs every year for seven seasons in a row. He was also a finalist for MLS Coach of the Year in 2005.
In 2007, Nicol helped the Revolution win their first trophy ever. They won the U.S. Open Cup final. The next season, Nicol guided the Revolution to their first international trophy. They won the 2008 North American SuperLiga against Houston Dynamo FC.
Nicol was also chosen to represent Major League Soccer several times. In 2005, he coached the "MLS Select Team" against Real Madrid CF. The league also picked Nicol to coach the MLS All-Stars twice. This was in 2007 against Celtic F.C. and in 2008 against West Ham United F.C..
In 2010, Nicol led the Revolution back to the SuperLiga final, where they lost. The Revolution also missed the playoffs for the first time under Nicol in 2010. They missed them again in the 2011 season. On October 24, 2011, Nicol and the Revolution decided to part ways. This ended his 10-season time as coach. Nicol left the Revolution as the club's longest-serving manager. He led the club in games coached, wins, and playoff appearances.
On November 4, 2012, Nicol was added to the New England Soccer Hall of Fame.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liverpool | 1982–83 | First Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1983–84 | First Division | 23 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 7 | |
| 1984–85 | First Division | 31 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 7 | |
| 1985–86 | First Division | 34 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 6 | 0 | 47 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | First Division | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 21 | 5 | ||
| 1987–88 | First Division | 40 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | 0 | 0 | 50 | 7 | ||
| 1988–89 | First Division | 38 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | 52 | 2 | ||
| 1989–90 | First Division | 23 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 33 | 9 | ||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 35 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 44 | 3 | ||
| 1991–92 | First Division | 34 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 52 | 1 | ||
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 35 | 1 | |||
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 343 | 36 | 50 | 3 | 42 | 4 | 19 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 468 | 46 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 1984 | 3 | 0 |
| 1985 | 4 | ||
| 1986 | 4 | ||
| 1987 | 2 | ||
| 1988 | 6 | ||
| 1989 | 4 | ||
| 1990 | 1 | ||
| 1991 | 3 | ||
| Total | 27 | 0 | |
Awards and Honours
As a Player
Liverpool
- Football League First Division: 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90
- FA Cup: 1985–86, 1988–89, 1991–92
- FA Charity Shield: 1989
- European Cup: 1983–84
- Football League Super Cup: 1985–86
As a Manager
New England Revolution
- North American SuperLiga: 2008
- US Open Cup: 2007
Individual Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: 1988–89 First Division
- Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year: 1989
- MLS Coach of the Year Award: 2002
See also
- List of Major League Soccer coaches
