Nigel Martyn
Encyclopedia
Antony Nigel Martyn more commonly known as Nigel Martyn, is a retired English
football goalkeeper. He played for Crystal Palace
where he became the first £1million goalkeeper in British football and also won the Full Members Cup
. Martyn then left to spend six seasons at Leeds United
. He went on to win 23 England
caps
. An ankle injury forced him to retire in 2006, following three seasons at Everton
.
, Cornwall
, Martyn started his career as a midfielder
until invited to play as a goalkeeper for his brother's works team when he was sixteen. He started by playing amateur football for Cornish sides Heavy Transport F.C., Bugle and St Blazey while working in a plastics factory and for a coal merchant, before beginning his professional career with Bristol Rovers
in 1987 after apparently having been "spotted" by Rovers' tea lady
whilst she was on holiday.
While still in Cornwall he was also a cricketer, and played with Cornwall Schoolboys as a wicket keeper, as well as Fowey
C.C. Since his retirement from professional football, he has returned to cricket, playing regularly for a local Leeds team.
for a fee of £1 million in 1989, becoming the first goalkeeper to attract a million-pound transfer fee in English football. It was at Crystal Palace that Nigel first gained international recognition with a call up to the full England side. He remained at Palace for seven seasons, appearing 349 times for his club, including the 1990 FA Cup Final
(where Palace were beaten by Manchester United
on a replay, and the 1991 Zenith Data Systems Cup
final (where Palace beat Everton
). In 1996, he signed with Leeds United, setting another record fee for a goalkeeper of £2.25m.
In 2005, Palace supporters voted Martyn into their Centenary XI.
in the summer of 1996/97, along with another high profile capture in the form of Britain's most expensive teenager, Lee Bowyer
. Martyn's form for United, both at home and on the continent in European competition was outstanding - most notably in a man-of-the-match display at the Olympic Stadium v AS Roma in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup campaign, of which Leeds reached the semi-finals. Martyn was also a huge part of the squad that eliminated illustrious clubs such as FC Barcelona
, S.S. Lazio
and Deportivo La Coruna in the following season's UEFA Champions League
campaign, leading them to the last four.
In total, Martyn played as Leeds' first-choice goalkeeper for six seasons and his consistency was such that years later at a supporters dinner, the Cornishman was named officially as United's greatest ever goalkeeper, beating off competition from the likes of Gary Sprake
and John Lukic
- men who both won championship medals at Elland Road.
However, it was a disagreement with new Leeds manager Terry Venables
, combined with the increasingly good form of youngster Paul Robinson
, that kept him from playing any games in Leeds' 2002-03 season
and after a string of unused substitute appearances, Martyn was told he could find new employers.
On 10 April 2006, he was voted as part of Leeds United's greatest team being the only player from after the Revie Era to be part of the team. He is still well regarded by the Leeds United fans and was recently involved in the "Back the Bid Leeds" campaign for Leeds to be one of the host cities in England's World Cup 2018 bid.
and Everton with offers to sign Martyn. Both clubs were offering the out-of-favour goalkeeper a backup post: at Chelsea, he would understudy Carlo Cudicini
; at Everton, the first-choice was Richard Wright
. Martyn chose to move to Everton, and six games into the season, an injury to Wright gave him his Everton debut. His performances for the first team during Wright's recovery were such that Martyn remained Everton's first-choice goalkeeper even after Wright returned from injury.In that season he almost single-handedly kept Everton in the league that season with stunning performances particarly against Liverpool in the merseyside derby at Anfield with stunning saves from Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Dietmar Hamann.
Martyn was one of Everton's best performers in the 2004–05 season
when they achieved their best Premier League finish of fourth. Many fans believed that Martyn almost single-handedly stopped them from slipping down the table after Thomas Gravesen
's departure. He produced some of the best form of his career, despite being 38 years of age, to the delight of the Everton fans, with whom he remains a favourite. In his final season at Everton he was picking up many injuries and missed the remainder of the season. His final appreance for Everton was his 100 game for the club against Chelsea in an FA Cup tie at Goodison Park which ended 1-1 after Martyn's amazing performance, making numerous excellent saves. It was a fitting end to Martyn's Everton career, and he is conisdered by many as the club's best goalkeeper since Neville Southall
.
On 8 June 2006, Martyn announced his retirement from football due to an ankle injury. David Moyes
said that he would miss Martyn as he was his "greatest ever signing".
in Moscow
in 1992, becoming one of the few Cornishmen to play for England. He earned only 23 caps for his national side, spending the peak of his career as second-choice goalkeeper behind David Seaman
. The timing of his career is considered to be a great disappointment as a player of his calibre would have collected many more caps for the England national side in other eras.
, a role he started in March 2007 as a favour for former Leeds United teammate David Wetherall
, who was then caretaker manager at Bradford.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football goalkeeper. He played for Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
where he became the first £1million goalkeeper in British football and also won the Full Members Cup
Full Members Cup
The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
. Martyn then left to spend six seasons at Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
. He went on to win 23 England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
. An ankle injury forced him to retire in 2006, following three seasons at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
Early career
Born in St AustellSt Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, Martyn started his career as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
until invited to play as a goalkeeper for his brother's works team when he was sixteen. He started by playing amateur football for Cornish sides Heavy Transport F.C., Bugle and St Blazey while working in a plastics factory and for a coal merchant, before beginning his professional career with Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
in 1987 after apparently having been "spotted" by Rovers' tea lady
Tea lady
A tea lady is a woman in an office or working environment, whose sole job is to provide beverages and light snacks during the allocated tea break. Tea ladies are a mainly British custom. They entered the mainstream in the UK during the second world war, when tea ladies were used in an experiment...
whilst she was on holiday.
While still in Cornwall he was also a cricketer, and played with Cornwall Schoolboys as a wicket keeper, as well as Fowey
Fowey
Fowey is a small town, civil parish and cargo port at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, United Kingdom. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,273.-Early history:...
C.C. Since his retirement from professional football, he has returned to cricket, playing regularly for a local Leeds team.
Crystal Palace
He was transferred to Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
for a fee of £1 million in 1989, becoming the first goalkeeper to attract a million-pound transfer fee in English football. It was at Crystal Palace that Nigel first gained international recognition with a call up to the full England side. He remained at Palace for seven seasons, appearing 349 times for his club, including the 1990 FA Cup Final
1990 FA Cup Final
The 1990 FA Cup Final was a football match contested by Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium, London, England. The match finished 3–3 after extra time. Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes scored for United; Gary O'Reilly and Ian Wright for Palace...
(where Palace were beaten by Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on a replay, and the 1991 Zenith Data Systems Cup
Full Members Cup
The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
final (where Palace beat Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
). In 1996, he signed with Leeds United, setting another record fee for a goalkeeper of £2.25m.
In 2005, Palace supporters voted Martyn into their Centenary XI.
Leeds United
Martyn was signed by boss Howard WilkinsonHoward Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
in the summer of 1996/97, along with another high profile capture in the form of Britain's most expensive teenager, Lee Bowyer
Lee Bowyer
Lee David Bowyer is an English professional footballer born in Canning Town, London, who plays as a midfielder for Ipswich Town of the Football League Championship....
. Martyn's form for United, both at home and on the continent in European competition was outstanding - most notably in a man-of-the-match display at the Olympic Stadium v AS Roma in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup campaign, of which Leeds reached the semi-finals. Martyn was also a huge part of the squad that eliminated illustrious clubs such as FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, S.S. Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
and Deportivo La Coruna in the following season's UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
campaign, leading them to the last four.
In total, Martyn played as Leeds' first-choice goalkeeper for six seasons and his consistency was such that years later at a supporters dinner, the Cornishman was named officially as United's greatest ever goalkeeper, beating off competition from the likes of Gary Sprake
Gary Sprake
Gareth Sprake is a Welsh former professional footballer. A goalkeeper, he played for Leeds United and Birmingham City and also won 37 caps for Wales....
and John Lukic
John Lukic
Jovan "John" Lukic is an English former football goalkeeper who was a member of Football League championship sides with two different clubs and played at the highest level of English football in four separate decades.-Childhood and early life:Lukic was born in Chesterfield to Yugoslavian parents;...
- men who both won championship medals at Elland Road.
However, it was a disagreement with new Leeds manager Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
, combined with the increasingly good form of youngster Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson (goalkeeper)
Paul William Robinson is an English footballer who plays for Blackburn Rovers as a goalkeeper in the Premier League. He had also been an England international and he earned 41 caps between 2003 and 2007 before his retirement from international football in August 2010.He joined Leeds United at 16...
, that kept him from playing any games in Leeds' 2002-03 season
2002-03 in English football
The 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
and after a string of unused substitute appearances, Martyn was told he could find new employers.
On 10 April 2006, he was voted as part of Leeds United's greatest team being the only player from after the Revie Era to be part of the team. He is still well regarded by the Leeds United fans and was recently involved in the "Back the Bid Leeds" campaign for Leeds to be one of the host cities in England's World Cup 2018 bid.
Everton
In summer 2003, Leeds were approached by ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Everton with offers to sign Martyn. Both clubs were offering the out-of-favour goalkeeper a backup post: at Chelsea, he would understudy Carlo Cudicini
Carlo Cudicini
Carlo Cudicini is an Italian goalkeeper who currently plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. In his 10 years at Chelsea he established himself as one of England's best goalkeepers before injury and the arrival of Petr Cech displaced him as first-choice...
; at Everton, the first-choice was Richard Wright
Richard Wright (footballer)
Richard Ian Wright is an English professional goalkeeper, currently playing for Ipswich Town, now his third spell with the club having played earlier in the season for the reserves...
. Martyn chose to move to Everton, and six games into the season, an injury to Wright gave him his Everton debut. His performances for the first team during Wright's recovery were such that Martyn remained Everton's first-choice goalkeeper even after Wright returned from injury.In that season he almost single-handedly kept Everton in the league that season with stunning performances particarly against Liverpool in the merseyside derby at Anfield with stunning saves from Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Dietmar Hamann.
Martyn was one of Everton's best performers in the 2004–05 season
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
when they achieved their best Premier League finish of fourth. Many fans believed that Martyn almost single-handedly stopped them from slipping down the table after Thomas Gravesen
Thomas Gravesen
Thomas Gravesen is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He has played for teams such as Hamburger SV, Everton F.C., Real Madrid CF and Celtic F.C.....
's departure. He produced some of the best form of his career, despite being 38 years of age, to the delight of the Everton fans, with whom he remains a favourite. In his final season at Everton he was picking up many injuries and missed the remainder of the season. His final appreance for Everton was his 100 game for the club against Chelsea in an FA Cup tie at Goodison Park which ended 1-1 after Martyn's amazing performance, making numerous excellent saves. It was a fitting end to Martyn's Everton career, and he is conisdered by many as the club's best goalkeeper since Neville Southall
Neville Southall
Neville Southall MBE is a former Wales international footballer, best known for his time with Everton. He has been described as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1985...
.
On 8 June 2006, Martyn announced his retirement from football due to an ankle injury. David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
said that he would miss Martyn as he was his "greatest ever signing".
International career
Martyn made his debut for the England national sideEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1992, becoming one of the few Cornishmen to play for England. He earned only 23 caps for his national side, spending the peak of his career as second-choice goalkeeper behind David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
. The timing of his career is considered to be a great disappointment as a player of his calibre would have collected many more caps for the England national side in other eras.
Coaching career
Martyn spent time as goalkeeping coach at Bradford CityBradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, a role he started in March 2007 as a favour for former Leeds United teammate David Wetherall
David Wetherall
David Wetherall is an English former footballer who played as a central defender, finishing his playing career with Bradford City at the end of the 2007–08 season. Born in Sheffield, he supported Sheffield Wednesday as a child, and started his playing career there...
, who was then caretaker manager at Bradford.