Mark Atkins (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Nigel Atkins | ||
| Date of birth | 14 August 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Doncaster, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1988 | Scunthorpe United | 50 | (2) |
| 1988–1995 | Blackburn Rovers | 257 | (35) |
| 1995–1999 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 126 | (8) |
| 1999 | York City | 10 | (2) |
| 1999–2001 | Doncaster Rovers | 45 | (4) |
| 2001 | → Hull City (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2001–2003 | Shrewsbury Town | 72 | (3) |
| 2003–2004 | Harrogate Town | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 2000 | Doncaster Rovers (caretaker) | ||
| 2003 | Shrewsbury Town (caretaker) | ||
| 2008–2014 | Matlock Town | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Mark Nigel Atkins (born 14 August 1968) is an English former footballer and manager of Northern Premier League side Matlock Town.
He was primarily a central midfielder but started out as right-back in a career that lasted from 1986 until 2004, notably in the Premier League for Blackburn Rovers where he won the title in 1995. He also played for Scunthorpe United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, York City, Doncaster Rovers, Hull City, Shrewsbury Town and Harrogate Town.
Atkins was an integral part of Blackburn's rise from the old Second Division to Premier League champions in 1995. He joined Rovers for £45,000 from Scunthorpe United in 1988, being then relocated to Midfielder, and staying in the team despite the big investment in new players from owner Jack Walker.
His part in Rovers' championship success is often understated, with many falsely believing that David Batty formed the strong midfield partnership with club captain Tim Sherwood in that team. In fact, a foot injury kept Batty out until the final five matches and Atkins proved to be an unlikely hero for Blackburn, playing 34 matches and scoring six goals in the title season, including important ones against Liverpool and Southampton.
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