Nigel Adkins

Nigel Adkins

Adkins as Southampton manager in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Nigel Howard Adkins
Date of birth	(1965-03-11) 11 March 1965 (age 52)
Place of birth	Birkenhead, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
	Liverpool
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1983–1986	Tranmere Rovers	86	(0)
1986–1993	Wigan Athletic	155	(0)
1993–1996	Bangor City	95	(0)
Total		336	(0)
Teams managed
1993–1996	Bangor City
2006–2010	Scunthorpe United
2010–2013	Southampton
2013–2014	Reading
2015–2016	Sheffield United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Nigel Howard Adkins (born 11 March 1965) is an English former professional footballer, physiotherapist and manager who was most recently of League One club Sheffield United.

Adkins played as a goalkeeper for Tranmere Rovers and Wigan Athletic. He finished his playing career and began his successful managerial career at Welsh club Bangor City before spells at Scunthorpe United and Southampton, where he led both clubs to promotion. His tenure with the latter was noted for taking the Saints from League One to the Premier League in successive seasons.

Prior to his appointment as Scunthorpe United manager, Adkins was the club physiotherapist.

Adkins began his career at Liverpool, but was released without playing a first team game. In 1983, he joined Tranmere Rovers and made 86 league appearances in three years. In 1986, he transferred to Wigan Athletic, the club where he spent the majority of his career, playing 155 league games between 1986 and 1993. He suffered a double spinal fracture at age 23, which curtailed his career. Adkins joined Bangor City as player-manager in 1993, making 95 league appearances and guiding them to consecutive promotions before leaving the club in 1996. Adkins subsequently retired from playing at age 31, having made 336 league appearances in a 13-year career.

Following his retirement from playing, Adkins graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in physiotherapy and joined the physiotherapy department at Scunthorpe United.