Nigel Worthington
Nigel Worthington ( * November 4, 1961 in Ballymena ) is a former Northern Irish football player and current coach of the English fourth division York City. His most successful period as a player, he spent 1984-1994 at Sheffield Wednesday. Between 2007 and 2011 he coached the Northern Irish national team.
- 2.1 Blackpool FC (1997-1999)
- 2.2 Norwich City (2000-2006 )
- 2.3 Northern Ireland national team ( 2007-2011)
- 2.4 York City (2013 - )
Playing career
Notts County (1981-1984)
Nigel Worthington joined in 1981 by his Northern Ireland home club Ballymena United to the English Premiership promoted Notts County. After relegation in the Football League First Division 1981/82 and 1982/83 County increased in the 1983/84 season as a table Penultimate back to the second division from. Nigel Worthington, however, had to leave the club before the end of the season.
Sheffield Wednesday (1984-1994)
On February 6, 1984, he moved to trained by Howard Wilkinson English second division club Sheffield Wednesday. With his new club left defense rose at end of the season as runner-up behind FC Chelsea in the Premier League. The first season for Wednesday in the First Division in 1984/85 for fourteen years led the upstart to eighth place in the table. In the 1985/86 season, the team increased this performance again and reached the fifth place. However, due to the international ban of all English football teams as a result of the disaster at Heysel, the club could not compete in the UEFA Cup. After two years in mid-table, got Sheffield 1988/89 in danger of relegation, but eventually managed as Fifteenth three points clear of the relegation Middlesbrough FC in the league. This was Sheffield 1989/90, no more, so the club had after six years in the first division again relegated to the Second Division. Points with the table 17th Luton Town chose only the worse goal difference by two goals to the disadvantage of Wednesday. However, the team quickly recovered from this setback and went straight into the 1990/91 season back in the Premier League on. Ranking third behind Oldham Athletic and West Ham United Sheffield managed to return and also this year won the title in the League Cup in 1990/91. Opponent in the final at Wembley was coached by Alex Ferguson Manchester United, that was defeated by a goal from the Irish national team John Sheridan 1-0. The climbers succeeded then in the First Division in 1991/92 a very good placement. Due to this success, the Owls in the UEFA Cup were eligible to play in 1992/93 and moved to two wins (8:1 and 2:1 ) in the second round one. There, the German representative 1.FC Kaiserslautern proved to be too strong. After a 1:3 defeat at the Fritz -Walter Stadium, meant it 2-2 in the Hillsborough early exit. In the league, reached Wednesday in the newly introduced Premier League 1992/93 a seventh place and also reached the finals of the FA Cup in 1992/93. After a 1-1 draw in the first match Sheffield lost the replay game with 1:2 against Arsenal. Previously, the team had already in 1992/93 lost the final of the League Cup with a 1-2 against Arsenal.
Leeds United (1994-1996)
In summer 1994, Worthington moved to over ten years in Sheffield to Leeds United. Leeds has been trained since 1988 by Howard Wilkinson, who already had ten years earlier committed him for Sheffield Wednesday. With his new team, he reached over to fifth place in the Premier League 1994/95 UEFA Cup 1995/96, in the Leeds however, already in the second round clearly failed on the Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. After another season of 34 -year-old Nigel Worthington moved in 1996 to the second division club Stoke City and a year later to FC Blackpool, where he began his playing career ended in 1998.
Northern Ireland national team (1984-1997)
In the thirteen years for Northern Ireland Nigel Worthington denied sixty-six internationals. Height of his career in the national team was participating in the Football World Cup 1986 in Mexico. After a 1-1 draw against Algeria in the first game and two defeats against Spain and Brazil, Northern Ireland, however, was eliminated after the first round. Worthington came in the first two games from the start for use.
Coaching career
Blackpool FC (1997-1999)
On July 8, 1997 Worthington took over the position of the player coach at third division FC Blackpool. After two years in mid-table, he was fired during the season 1999/ 00 on 23 December 1999.
Norwich City (2000-2006)
Nearly a year later, Worthington was on 4 December 2000 the new coach of the second division Norwich City. In the 2001 /02 season he reached Norwich the first play-off round. After a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers Norwich but lost the final against Birmingham City on penalties. Two years later, Worthington led the club to the championship in the second division and managed so that after nine years of promotion to the first division. The return to the Premier League 2004 /05, however, was not permanent, but rather the direct re- descent followed as a table next to last. After a ninth place in the Football League Championship 2005/ 06 and a false start in the season 2006/ 07 Nigel Worthington was released on 1 October 2006 after nearly six years in Norwich.
Northern Ireland national team (2007-2011)
After an interim basis trainer was at second division Leicester City on 11 April 2007 to the end of season 2006/ 07, Nigel Worthington took over on 1 June 2007 as coach of the Northern Ireland national team. The team's good to Football Championship started in 2008 by his predecessor, Lawrie Sanchez in the qualification missed participation in the final tournament in third place behind Spain and Sweden. After a fourth place in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2010 behind Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, made the even worse performance in qualifying for the 2012 European Football Championship for the end of his term of office on 11 October 2011. Northern Ireland had in the group as fifth only left the Faroe behind.
York City (2013 - )
On March 4, 2013 Worthington was introduced as the new coach of the English fourth division York City.
Achievements
- League Cup winner: 1991
- League Cup finalist: 1993
- FA Cup finalist: 1993
- Second division champions: 2004