Nicky Weaver
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Nicky Weaver
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Nicholas James Weaver{{Hugman|20699|access-date=4 April 2017}}
| height =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|3|2|df=y}}
| birth_place = Sheffield, England
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub =
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1995
| youthclubs1 = Sheffield Wednesday
| years1 = 1995–1997
| years2 = 1997–2007
| years3 = 2005–2006
| years4 = 2007–2009
| years5 = 2009–2010
| years6 = 2010
| years7 = 2010–2013
| years8 = 2013–2014
| clubs1 = Mansfield Town
| clubs2 = Manchester City
| clubs3 = → Sheffield Wednesday (loan)
| clubs4 = Charlton Athletic
| clubs5 = Dundee United
| clubs6 = Burnley
| clubs7 = Sheffield Wednesday
| clubs8 = Aberdeen
| caps1 = 1
| caps2 = 172
| caps3 = 14
| caps4 = 67
| caps5 = 18
| caps6 = 0
| caps7 = 44
| caps8 = 2
| goals1 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| goals4 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| goals6 = 0
| goals7 = 0
| goals8 = 0
| totalcaps = 318
| totalgoals = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1996–1997
| nationalteam1 = England U18
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1999–2002
| nationalteam2 = England U21
| nationalcaps2 = 10
| nationalgoals2 = 0
}}
Nicholas James Weaver (born 2 March 1979) is an English football coach and former professional footballer.
As as a player he was a goalkeeper who began his career with Mansfield Town in 1995. He joined Manchester City in 1997 and would go on to be a part of the club that earned promotion from the Second Division in 1999 in which he saved the decisive penalty in the play-off final shootout with Gillingham at Wembley Stadium. He would go on to earn promotion to the Premier League the following season and in total was promoted three times with City in a ten-year spell. By the time he left the club in 2007 he had been the club's second choice keeper for a number of years and had acted as understudy to the likes of Peter Schmeichel, David Seaman and David James. He went on to appear for Charlton Athletic, Dundee United, Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday and Aberdeen. He is a former England under-21 international.
He worked for Sheffield Wednesday since retiring and has held a number of different roles including academy and first team goalkeeper coach.
Club career
=Manchester City=
Weaver was bought by Manchester City from Mansfield Town on the recommendation of goalkeeping coach Alex Stepney. He made his competitive Manchester City debut in the first match of the 1998–99 season against Blackpool, keeping a clean sheet. Over the course of the season Weaver kept a total of 26 clean sheets, breaking the club record for clean sheets in a season. Weaver was the hero for Manchester City in the 1999 Second Division Play-off final versus Gillingham after his penalty save clinched promotion, prompting him to go on a 'crazy run' around the Wembley pitch. Around this time, Weaver was tipped to receive full international honours for England by Jon McGinty after becoming an England under 21 international.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/euro2000/teams/england/767682.stm|title=Seaman not ready to retire|date=28 May 2000|access-date=28 October 2009|publisher=BBC Sport}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/players/nicky-weaver-11094/|title=Nicky Weaver|website=11v11.com|access-date=9 June 2019}}
Weaver remained first choice goalkeeper in 1999–2000, as City secured a second consecutive promotion by finishing in second place in the First Division. He then tasted Premier League football for the first time in the 2000–01 season, as the club was relegated in its first top flight campaign since 1996.{{Fchd|name=Manchester City F.C.|id=MANCHESC}} Weaver missed almost half of City's league matches in 2001–02 through injury, as the club was again promoted back to the Premier League. Weaver's growing injury problems lead to Keegan signing veteran Peter Schmeichel for the 2002–03 season, with Weaver dropping to second choice.
Weaver did not start any games in the 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/player/5013/nicky-weaver?season=2002|title=Nicky Weaver Player Profile – ESPN FC|website=www.espnfc.com|access-date=9 June 2019}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/player/5013/nicky-weaver?season=2003|title=Nicky Weaver Player Profile – ESPN FC|website=www.espnfc.com|access-date=9 June 2019}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/player/5013/nicky-weaver?season=2004|title=Nicky Weaver Player Profile – ESPN FC|website=www.espnfc.com|access-date=9 June 2019}} However, he did play the last fifteen minutes of the 2004–05 season, when Stuart Pearce surprisingly substituted Claudio Reyna for Weaver so the regular City goalkeeper David James could play in attack against Middlesbrough.
Weaver's return to fitness resulted in injury once again during the close season of 2005, ruling him out of the start of the season. In Autumn 2005 Weaver went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, the team he had supported since childhood and for whom he had played as a schoolboy,{{cite news|url=http://www.cafc.co.uk/newsview.ink?matchid=4239&type=m|title=Iwelumo double caps stunning fightback|date=25 August 2007|author=Gary Haines|publisher=Charlton Athletic F.C.|access-date=24 February 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201062341/http://www.cafc.co.uk/newsview.ink?matchid=4239&type=m|archive-date=1 December 2007}} in an attempt to return to full fitness.
While at Wednesday, Weaver made 14 appearances, beginning with a 2–1 victory at home to Derby County and ending with a 3–0 defeat away at Leeds United. He also played in the Steel City derby away at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United, where Wednesday were beaten 1–0. He was the only Sheffield born player in the entire fixture.{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sheffield-utd/Vintage-Steel-City-derby-December.3674409.jp|title=Vintage Steel City derby: December 2005|date=15 January 2008|author=Ian Appleyard|newspaper=Yorkshire Post|access-date=24 February 2008}}
Before the 2006–07 season, Manchester City sold James to Portsmouth, bought Andreas Isaksson as a replacement and gave Isaksson the number 1 shirt. However, an injury to Isaksson meant Weaver played the first game of the season on 20 August 2006, his first senior start for the club in nearly three years and Weaver's improved form led to him starting all but one of the Manchester City games in the rest of 2006.
=Charlton Athletic and Dundee United=
On 4 July 2007, out-of-contract Weaver signed for Charlton Athletic on a free transfer.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/charlton_athletic/6271722.stm|title=Charlton sign Todorov and Weaver|date=4 July 2007|access-date=4 July 2007 |publisher=BBC Sport}} On 5 April 2008, Weaver was sent off after three minutes for handball in a match against Plymouth Argyle.{{Cite web |title=Plymouth 1–2 Charlton |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 April 2008 |access-date=18 December 2018 |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7320190.stm}} The incident marked the quickest ever dismissal of a Charlton player, a record that would remain until 2018.{{Cite web |title=Duo battle to impress Pards |work=News Shopper |access-date=18 December 2018 |url= http://www2.newsquest.co.uk/local_london/news_shopper/sport/SPORT11.html}}{{Cite web |title='Sarr just wanted Christmas off' – fans react to 39 second red card |last=Trotter |first=Scott |work=football.london |date=4 December 2018 |access-date=17 December 2018 |url= https://www.football.london/charlton-athletic-fc/charlton-naby-sarr-red-card-15556662}} Following his release from Charlton, Weaver signed for Dundee United on 5 August 2009 on a short-term contract.{{Cite news |url=https://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/news/2758/NICKY-WEAVER-JOINS-UNITED.html |title=Nicky Weaver joins United |date=5 August 2009 |access-date=5 August 2009 |publisher=Dundee United F.C.}} The United fans took to him instantly and – although he was pelted by snowballs by Aberdeen fans in his final home match at Tannadice as the ground staff thought it was a good idea not to clear all the snow{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/dundee-united/2010/01/04/nicky-weaver-set-to-head-back-south-after-dundee-united-deal-ends-86908-21940839/|title=Nicky Weaver set to head back south after Dundee United deal ends}} – he played in every league match before his contract expired in January 2010.
=Burnley=
On 27 January 2010, Weaver signed an initial six-month contract with Burnley on a free transfer subject to international clearance. However, he was released on 11 May 2010 without making a single appearance.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/burnley/8675554.stm|title=Burnley captain Steven Caldwell to leave Turf Moor|date=11 May 2010|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=12 May 2010}}
=Sheffield Wednesday=
With Lee Grant's departure from Sheffield Wednesday to Burnley in the close season,{{cite news |url=http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10304~2101702,00.html |title=SWFC agree fee for Lee Grant |date=25 June 2010 |publisher=Sheffield Wednesday F.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901192858/https://www.swfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10304~2101702,00.html |archive-date=1 September 2010 |url-status=dead}} Weaver the ex-Owl loanee and Wednesday fan signed as a replacement after the club's transfer embargo was lifted.{{cite web |url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Weaver-on-Sheffield-Wednesday39s-list.6446134.jp |title=Weaver on Sheffield Wednesday's list of targets to replace Grant |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=29 July 2010}} On 4 October 2010, Weaver was awarded the Handley Brown player of the month for September after a number of impressive performances in an underachieving Wednesday team.{{Cite web |url=http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/PlayerOfTheMonth/0,,10304~2174296,00.html |title=Weaver crowned Player of the Month |date=4 October 2010 |url-status=dead |access-date=23 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915034147/http://www.swfc.co.uk/page/PlayerOfTheMonth/0,,10304~2174296,00.html |archive-date=15 September 2012 }} Weaver was awarded man of the match against Chesterfield in a Football League Trophy second round match after scoring the decisive penalty and saving three spot kicks, two of which were vital sudden death saves to keep Wednesday in the competition.
Weaver received his second successive Player of The Month award off the club for his performances in October. His consistent performances led to him signing a new two-and-a-half-year deal on 14 February 2011, which due to an oversight by the press office was not announced until 4 April. Weaver fell out of favour at Sheffield Wednesday following the signing of Chris Kirkland, with Kirkland inheriting Weaver's no.1 shirt. After failing to appear in any matchday squad since Kirkland's arrival, he was released at the end of the season.
=Aberdeen=
On 15 July 2013, Weaver signed for Aberdeen on a six-month contract.{{cite web |url=http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20130715/nicky-weaver-signs-for-aberdeen-_2212158_3239127 |title=Nicky Weaver signs for Aberdeen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531085228/https://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20130715/nicky-weaver-signs-for-aberdeen-_2212158_3239127 |archive-date=31 May 2014 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |title=Aberdeen: Goalkeeper Nicky Weaver joins on six-month deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 July 2013 |access-date=18 December 2018 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23322717}} This was extended for a further six months in January 2014.{{Cite web |title=Aberdeen: Goalkeeper Nicky Weaver extends contract |publisher=BBC Sport |date=7 January 2014 |access-date=18 December 2018 |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25641625}}
Coaching career
In September 2014, Weaver returned to Sheffield Wednesday as academy goalkeeping coach. He replaced Andy Rhodes as first team goalkeeping coach in July 2018.{{Cite web |url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2018/july/weaver-appointed-owls-goalkeeper-coach/ |title=Weaver appointed Owls first team goalkeeper coach |date=26 July 2018 |publisher=Sheffield Wednesday F.C. |access-date=18 December 2018}} On 14 August 2020, it was confirmed as part of a coaching staff restructure, Weaver would switch roles and become Head of Academy Goalkeeping, the position he originally had when joining the club as staff.{{cite web |title=Coaching staff restructure|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2020/august/coaching-staff-restructure/|publisher=Sheffield Wednesday F.C. |access-date=14 August 2020}} On 11 April 2024, Weaver confirmed he would be leaving Sheffield Wednesday at the end of the 2023–24 season, saying "I don't see myself coaching again but you never say never".{{cite news |title=Nicky Weaver to step down|url=https://www.swfc.co.uk/news/2024/april/nicky-weaver-to-step-down/|access-date=11 April 2024 |publisher=Sheffield Wednesday FC|date=11 April 2024}}
Career statistics
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club | rowspan="2"|Season
! colspan="3" |League | colspan="2" |National Cup | colspan="2" |League Cup
! colspan="2" |Europe | colspan="2" |Other | colspan="2"|Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division
! Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
!Apps !Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| rowspan="3"|Mansfield Town | 1995–96{{Soccerbase|id=9154}}
| rowspan="2" |Third Division | 1 | 0 | 0
|0 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| 1996–97 | 0 | 0 | 0
|0 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |— |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total
! | 1 | 0 | 0
! 0 | 0
!0 ! colspan="2" |— !0 ! 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| rowspan="10" |Manchester City
|1998–99{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=1998|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 45 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | 0 | 55 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=1999|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 51 | 0 | |||
| 2000–01{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2000|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 39 | 0 | |||
| 2001–02{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2001|access-date=9 June 2019}}
| First Division | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 29 | 0 | |||
| 2002–03{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2002|access-date=9 June 2019}}
| rowspan="5" | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2003–04{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2003|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | colspan="2" | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2004|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2005–06{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2005|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2006|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 25 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2" |Total | 172 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 15
!0 !1 !0 | 3 | 0 | 207 | 0 | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 2005–06 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" | —
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="3" |Charlton Athletic | 2007–08{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2007|access-date=9 June 2019}}
| rowspan="2" | Championship | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 48 | 0 | |
| 2008–09{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2008|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2" | Total | 67 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0
! colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 70 | 0 | ||
| Dundee United | 2009–10{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2009|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 18 | 0 | colspan="2" | — | 0 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| Burnley | 2009–10
|Premier League | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" | — | colspan="2" | —
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| rowspan="3" |Sheffield Wednesday | 2010–11{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2010|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 36 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | 4Appearances in Football League Trophy | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| 2011–12{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2011|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| colspan="2" | Sheffield Wednesday total | 58 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0
! colspan="2" |— | 5 | 0 | 71 | 0 | |
| Aberdeen | 2013–14{{Soccerbase season|id=9154|season=2013|access-date=9 June 2019}} | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
| colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" | — | 2 | 0 | |
| colspan="3" |Career total | 318 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 18 | 0
!1 ! 0 | 8 | 0 | 359 | 0 |
Honours
;Sheffield Wednesday
- Football League One second-place promotion: 2010–11{{Fchd|id=SHEFFIEW|name=Sheffield Wednesday F.C.}}
;Manchester City
- Football League First Division: 2001–02
- Football League First Division second-place promotion: 1999–00
- Football League Second Division play-offs: 1999
;Aberdeen
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
- [http://www.thefa.com/england/All-Teams/Players?p=341287 Nicky Weaver] at The Football Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weaver, Nicky}}
Category:Footballers from Sheffield
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Mansfield Town F.C. players
Category:Manchester City F.C. players
Category:Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players
Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. players
Category:Dundee United F.C. players
Category:Aberdeen F.C. players
Category:Premier League players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Scottish Premier League players
Category:Scottish Professional Football League players