It has been suggested that Outside forward be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since January 2011.

A New Zealand forward (in white) takes a shot on goal against Cameroon in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals. This very advanced position and its limited defensive responsibilities mean forwards normally score more goals than other players; accordingly, they are often among the best-known and most expensive players in their teams. This is one of modern football's most demanding positions; it requires intelligence and speed, both of execution and of thought, to perform the role well.

Modern team formations usually include one to three forwards; two is the most common. Coaches typically field one striker who plays in an advanced position (the centre forward), and another attacking forward who plays somewhat deeper and assists in making goals as well as scoring (the second striker).

Centre forward[link]

The centre forward is often a tall player, typically known as a target man, whose main function is to score the majority of goals for his team. He may also be used to win long balls or receive passes and "hold up" the ball as team-mates advance, to help teammates score by providing a pass ('through ball' into the box); the latter variation usually requiring quicker pace. Most modern centre forwards operate behind the strikers, but do the majority of the ball handling outside the box; however, some forwards operate on the wings of the field and work their way goalward. The present role of centre forward is interchangeable with that of an attacking midfielder, especially in the 4-3-1-2 or 4-1-2-1-2 formations. A centre forward usually must be strong, to win key headers and 'outmuscle' defenders. His classic number is 9.

The term centre forward is taken from the early football playing formation in which there were five forward players: two Outside forwards, two inside forwards, and one centre forward. When numbers were introduced in the 1933 English FA Cup final, one of the two centre forwards that day wore the number nine Everton's Dixie Dean a strong, powerful forward who had set the record for the most goals scored in one season in English football during the 1927-28 season. The number would then become synonymous with the centre forward position (only one that day because one team was numbered 1–11 whilst the other was numbered 12–22). The modern era has different formations and has squad numbers rather than numbers 1–11, but some positions still retain their original numbers and a traditional centre forward or target man is often found wearing the number nine, such as Alan Shearer, who wore the number 9 shirt at club and international level, or Fernando Torres, the Spanish centre forward player who is wearing number nine in his team and at international level.

Striker[link]

The striker is rather different from the centre forward. Strikers are more known for their ability to peel off defenders and to run into space via the blind side of the defender and to receive the ball in a good goalscoring position. They are typically fast players with decent ball control and dribbling abilities. A good striker should be able to shoot confidently with both feet, possess great power and accuracy, and have the ability to pass the ball under pressure in breakaway situations. While many strikers also wear the number 9 shirt, the position is traditionally associated with the number 10, occasionally numbers 7 and 11 both these are more common for wingers.

Second striker[link]

Deep-lying forwards have a long history in the game, but the terminology to describe them has varied over the years. Originally such players were termed inside forwards, or deep-lying centre forwards. More recently, two more variations of this old type of player have developed: the second or shadow or support or auxiliary striker and, in what is in fact a distinct position unto its own, the Number 10, the Trequartista who is often described as an attacking midfielder or the playmaker.

The second striker position a tight-defined and often misapplied one somewhere between the out-and-out striker, whether he is a target-man or more of a poacher, and the Number 10 or Trequartista, while possibly showing some of the characteristics of both. In fact, a coined term, the "nine-and-a-half", has been an attempt to define the position. Conceivably, a Number 10 can alternate as a second-striker provided that he is also a prolific goalscorer, otherwise a striker who can both score and create opportunities for a less versatile centre forward is more suited. This has been true of natural trequartistas like Roberto Baggio, Francesco Totti, and Alessandro Del Piero, and outside of Italy the likes of Raúl González or Kenny Dalglish who seldom played in a team formation which permitted them the creative license to play as a number 10 and so they adapted themselves to the second-striker role. Second or support strikers do not tend to get as involved in the orchestration of attacks as the Number 10, nor do they bring as many other players into play, since they do not share the burden of responsibility.^[1]

Combined attacking play

While the wing specialist position receives less emphasis in contemporary football, attacks from the flanks are a potent part of any offence. Germany's final goal of the 1974 World Cup was set up by a midfielder, Bonhof, who was set in motion by one of the last of the 'classic' international wingers – Jürgen Grabowski.

Successful attacks generally require the collaboration of many players, and goals can be made from the flanks or from the centre, all in one movement. In the diagram shown, some of the most successful strikers of the 20th century help to create a goal for a midfielder. The fast German winger Libuda starts the move by floating a long cross to Seeler at the far post. Seeler heads down for Muller, who plays it back to midfielder Overath for a goal. Though considered a centre forward, Seeler's dangerous aerial skills created countless chances for his team-mates. Skillful combined play will see a centre forward switch to a supporting role as the situation demands.

Winger[link]

A winger is an attacking player who is stationed in a wide position near the touchlines. They can be classified as forwards, considering their origin as the old "outside-forward" position, and continue to be termed as such in most parts of the world, especially in Latin and Dutch footballing cultures. However, in the Anglo-Saxon world, they are usually counted as part of the midfield.

It is a winger's duty to beat opposing fullbacks, deliver cut-backs or crosses from wide positions and, to a lesser extent, to beat defenders and score from close range. They are usually some of the quickest players in the team and usually have good dribbling skills as well. In their Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese usage, the defensive duties of the winger have been usually confined to pressing the opposition fullbacks when they have the ball. Otherwise, a winger will drop closer to the midfield to make himself available, should his team win back the ball.

In British and other northern European styles of football, the wide-midfielder is expected to track back all the way to his own corner flag should his full-back require help, and also to track back his marker, as well as tucking into the midfield when the more central players are trying to pressure the opposition for the ball, a huge responsibility for attack-oriented players, and particularly those like Joaquín (winger/wide midfielder) or Lionel Messi (winger/second-striker/trequartista) or Ryan Giggs and John Barnes (winger/central midfielder) who lack the physical attributes of a wing-back or of a more orthodox midfield player. As these players grow older and lose their natural pace, they are frequently redeployed as Number 10s between the midfield and the forward line, where their innate ball control and improved reading of the game in the final third can serve to improve their teams' attacking options in tight spaces. An example is Internazionale use of veteran Luís Figo behind one or two other attackers.^[2]

In recent years there has been a trend of playing 'unorthodox' wingers – wide men stationed on the 'wrong' side of the pitch, in order to enable them to cut inside and shoot on their stronger foot and sometimes provide in-swinging crosses.

Strike teams and combinations[link]

Holland's Johan Cruijff was often part of an effective strike combination

A strike team is two or more strikers who work well together to devastating effect. The history of football has been filled with many effective combinations. Two-player partnerships, such as Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole of the 1999 Manchester United treble winning squad, are well known, but also important to any attack are bigger groups of players who form distinct strike packages. Three-man teams often operate in "triangles", giving a wealth of attacking options. Four-man packages expand options even more.

Whatever the number of players involved, the strikers must possess good technical skills, be creative, and have a hunger for goal. Strikers must also be flexible, and be able to switch roles at a moment's notice, between the first (advanced penetrator position), second (deep-lying manoeuvre) and third (support and expansion, e.g. wings) attacker roles.

Shown here is one of the most potent strike teams of the 20th century – Pelé, Jairzinho and Tostão of Brazil. During Brazil's 1970 campaign, centre forward Tostão played the advanced penetration role of first attacker as described above in the article. Pelé often dropped back into midfield not only to escape tight marking but to draw his markers with him, opening gaps and helping create attacks. The third attacker - the winger Jairzinho - often took an advanced position but specialized in working the right side of the field.

Strikers at work showing rotation between first, second, and third attacker roles

In the semi-final against the ultra-defensive Uruguay, it is Pelé who takes on the role of target man, dropping infield to receive from Jairzinho. Tostão becomes the second attacker and Pelé finds him with a soft back-heel. Jairzinho meanwhile becomes the most advanced man, sprinting far upfield to receive Tostão's pass. This tight exchange put Jairzinho through for a goal, and illustrates how three strikers can work together to blow open the tightest defences.

Another example was the Total Football played by the Dutch team in the 1970s, where the ability of their players, and in particular Johan Cruijff, to swap positions allowed a flexible attacking approach which opposition teams found difficult to effectively mark.

See also[link]

• Association football positions
• Formation (association football)
• Goalkeeper (association football)
• Long ball

References[link]

Olivier Giroud

Giroud playing for Tours in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Olivier Giroud
Date of birth	(1986-09-30) 30 September 1986 (age 25)
Place of birth	Chambéry, France
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 3 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Montpellier
Number	17
Youth career
1994–1999	Froges
1999–2005	Grenoble
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2008	Grenoble	23	(2)
2007–2008	→ Istres (loan)	33	(14)
2008–2010	Tours	44	(24)
2010–	Montpellier	71	(33)
2010	→ Tours (loan)	17	(6)
National team‡
2011–	France	5	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 April 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 31 May 2012

Olivier Giroud (born 30 September 1986 in Chambéry) is a French footballer who plays for French club Montpellier in Ligue 1. He plays as a striker and is known for his size, physical style of play, and heading ability.^[1] After starring for several clubs in the lower divisions, Giroud secured a move to his current club in August 2010. His performances over two seasons with the club culminated into a call-up to the senior national team. Giroud made his international debut on 11 November 2011 in a match against Belgium.

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Giroud was born in the commune of Chambéry in the Rhône-Alpes region, but was raised in the nearby town of Froges.^[2] As a youth, he grew an attraction to football through former players Zinedine Zidane and Marco van Basten.^[3] Giroud began his football career playing for his hometown club Olympique Club de Froges. He spent five years training at the club before joining professional club Grenoble at the age of 13.^[2]

Grenoble[link]

Giroud spent six years developing in Grenoble's youth academy before signing his first professional contract at the age of 19. He later admitted that signing his first contract was an important part in his development as a player stating "It took me signing my first professional contract to become aware of my abilities. If you (a club) trusted me, it must know that I have some qualities".^[4] Ahead of the 2005–06 season, he was promoted to the club's reserve team, which was playing in the Championnat de France amateur 2, the fifth level of French football. Giroud quickly became an important player in the team scoring 15 goals in 15 matches.^[4] His performances over seven months with the reserve team resulted in the player being called up to the senior team in March 2006 by manager Thierry Goudet. Giroud made his professional debut on 24 March appearing as a late-match substitute in a 1–1 draw with Gueugnon in Ligue 2.^[5] He remained a part of the senior team for the rest of the campaign making five more substitute appearances.

Giroud was promoted to the senior team permanently for the 2006–07 season by new manager Yvon Pouliquen and was assigned the number 22 shirt. After appearing as a substitute in the team's first league match of the campaign, he made his first professional start in a 2–1 defeat away to Niort playing the entire match.^[6] On 26 February 2007, Giroud scored his first professional goal netting the injury time winner against Le Havre.^[7] He described the goal as "a fantastic memory. I could not dream better for a first pro goal". A month later, Giroud made his third start of the campaign against Gueugnon. In the match, which ended 0–0, Giroud incurred his first professional red card.^[8] He finished the campaign with 18 total appearances and two goals as Grenoble finished in fifth place.

Loan to Istres

In an attempt to earn some playing time, Giroud spent the 2007–08 season on loan at Istres in the Championnat National, the third level of football in France.^[4] Under the tutelage of manager Frédéric Arpinon, he continued his development as a striker and, in his second match with the club, scored his first goal in a 2–1 win over Laval.^[9] Two weeks later, Giroud scored goals in back-to-back matches against Vannes and Créteil.^[10][11] He scored his first double of the season in a 2–0 win against Arles-Avignon.^[12] A fortnight later, Giroud converted two goals again, this time in a 3–2 win over Pau.^[13] After going through the months of November and December without scoring a league goal, Giroud returned to form in January scoring goals in a 3–2 defeat to Vannes and a 2–0 win over Beauvais.^[14][15] He finished the campaign by scoring goals in April league fixtures against Paris and Martigues, which brought his total goal tally with Istres to 14.^[16][17] Of the 14 goals, Giroud only scored four at the Stade Parsemain, Istres' home stadium.^[18]

After a successful loan stint, Giroud returned to Grenoble with hopes of receiving some significant playing time as the club was now playing in Ligue 1. However, club manager Mehmed Baždarević, who was hired while Giroud was on his loan stint at Istres, deemed the player surplus to requirements and, subsequently, listed him for transfer. According to reports, Baždarević had declared that Giroud "did not have the level to play among the elite".^[4] In 2011, Giroud reevaluated his departure from Grenoble stating "I am neither resentful nor vengeful. I am just disappointed with what happened to Grenoble when there was great potential".^[4]

Tours[link]

On 28 May 2008, it was reported that Giroud had agreed to a three-year deal with Ligue 2 club Tours. The striker was lured to the club by sporting director Max Marty who had previously served as the chief executive officer of Grenoble, Giroud's former club.^[4] Giroud was also fond of Tours' manager Daniel Sanchez stating "It's always a plus to have a former striker as a coach. His advice to me really helped a lot. With him, I progressed in my positioning and also in front of goal".^[4] Giroud was given the number 12 shirt and, due to injury, made his club debut on 3 September 2008 in a 2–1 defeat to Boulogne in the Coupe de la Ligue.^[19] He made his league debut a week later playing the entire match in a 1–0 win over Nîmes.^[20] A month later, Giroud scored his first goal for the club converting the opener in a league match against Lens. In the second half, he scored another goal to cap a 3–1 win.^[21] Two weeks later, Giroud scored his third goal for the club in a victory over Ajaccio.^[22]

In the Coupe de France, Giroud scored five goals in two matches. In the eighth round of the competition, he scored the team's only goal in a 1–0 win over semi-professional club Pacy Vallée-d'Eure.^[23] In the ensuing round against Réunionais club Jeanne d'Arc, Giroud scored four goals in a 7–1 win.^[24][25] Tours would later be eliminated in the next round by Lorient.^[26] After his four-goal display against Jeanne d'Arc, Giroud followed up the performance by scoring goals in back-to-back league matches against Montpellier and Metz.^[27][28] After a double against Nîmes on 20 February 2009^[29], the striker suffered an injury, which forced him to miss three league matches. After making two substitute appearances on his return, in his first start since the injury on 3 April against Angers, Giroud scored the team's opening goal in a 3–1 win.^[30] Giroud later re-aggravated the previous injury in training, which led to him missing the entire month of April as Tours were contesting a promotion battle with several clubs. Despite losing Giroud, the club went unbeaten in the four league matches he missed. On his return against Boulogne on 8 May, Giroud scored his final goal of the season in a victory.^[31] In Tours' final three league matches of the campaign, the club failed to achieved a win, which resulted in the club failing to earn promotion to Ligue 1. Giroud finished the season with 27 total appearances and 14 goals.

In the 2009–10 season, Giroud was promoted to the lead striker role following the departure of Tenema N'Diaye to Nantes. The promotion immediately paid off as Giroud scored two goals in the team's opening match of the season; a 2–1 win over Le Havre in the Coupe de la Ligue.^[32] On 18 August 2009, he scored his first league goal against the same opposition in another win.^[33] Following another league goal in a win over Guingamp^[34], on 18 September, Giroud scored all four of Tours' goals in a 4–2 win over Arles-Avignon.^[35][36] It was his second career four-goal match at the professional level and his third overall having had one at amateur level while playing with the Grenoble reserve team.^[37] In the team's next 15 matches in all competitions, Giroud remained on form scoring ten goals. During that span, the striker scored in consecutive matches on three occasions. Giroud finished the fall campaign with 16 goals, 13 of which came in league play.^[37]

On 26 January 2010, it was reported that Ligue 1 club Montpellier had signed Giroud from Tours on a three and a half year deal.^[38] The transfer fee was priced at €2 million and it was also announced that Montpellier would loan Giroud back to Tours until the end of the 2009–10 season.^[38][39] The striker admitted the move to Montpellier would benefit him the most stating "I feel that here (Montpellier), the coach and staff will be able to help me make real progress. The environment is ideal, the training center is good, the group is healthy, and there's a beautiful stadium with an audience that responds to this".^[40] Following the transfer, Giroud went three weeks without scoring a goal before converting one on 19 February 2010 in a win over Arles-Avignon.^[41] Two weeks later, he scored the team's only goal in a 2–1 defeat to Nantes.^[42] On 19 March, Giroud scored two goals in a shutout win against Châteauroux.^[43] A week later, he scored in another shutout victory over Strasbourg.^[44] After the goal against Strasbourg, Giroud went seven matches without scoring before netting on the final matchday of the season against Nîmes.^[45] He finished the season with 42 appearances and 24 goals. Giroud scored 21 in the league and was named the league's top goalscorer. After the season, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 2 Player of the Year. Giroud was also named to the league's Team of the Year.^[46]

Montpellier[link]

Giroud officially joined Montpellier on 1 July 2010. He simultaneously made his club and European debut on 29 July in the first leg of Montpellier's UEFA Europa League third qualifying round with Hungarian club Győri ETO. In the match, Giroud scored his first goal for the club in the first half.^[47] Montpellier won the match courtesy of Giroud's goal, but were defeated on aggregate after losing on penalties in the second leg.^[48] Giroud made his league debut in the team's first match of the campaign; a 1–0 win over Bordeaux.^[49] On 28 August, he scored his first league goal in a 1–0 away win against Valenciennes.^[50] On 25 September, Giroud scored two goals in a home victory over Arles-Avignon.^[51] The double brought his career goal tally to nine against the Bouches-du-Rhône-based club. A week later, he scored Montpellier's lone goal in a 3–1 loss to Lille.^[52] In November 2010, Giroud scored game-winning goals in consecutive weeks against Toulouse and Nice.^[53][54]

In the Coupe de la Ligue, Montpellier surprisingly reached the final of the competition.^[55][56] In the semi-finals against Paris Saint-Germain, Giroud played the entire match, which went into extra time. In the 117th minute, he scored the match-winning goal to send Montpellier to its first major final since the 1993–94 season when the club reached the final of the Coupe de France.^[57][58] In the 2011 Coupe de la Ligue Final, Montpellier faced Marseille and were defeated 1–0 courtesy of a goal by Taye Taiwo.^[59][60] Giroud played the entire match.^[61] Following his goal against Paris Saint-Germain, Giroud went scoreless for nearly two months before converting both club goals against the same opposition in a 2–2 draw at the Parc des Princes.^[62] Towards the end of the league season, Giroud scored goals against title contenders Marseille and Lyon. However, Montpellier lost both matches.^[63][64] After finishing the season as the club's top scorer, on 31 May 2011, Giroud signed a contract extension with Montpellier until 2014.^[65]

Giroud began the 2011–12 campaign on form scoring in the team's first two league matches of the season against Auxerre and the defending champions Lille.^[66][67] Montpellier won both matches. After scoring a double in a 2–2 draw with Brest^[68], French newspaper Le Parisien affectionately dubbed him le buteur de charme (English: the charm striker).^[3] The nickname paid tribute to his goalscoring ability, as well as personality and looks and was, subsequently, used by several other media outlets in France to describe the player.^[25][69] In the team's next 18 matches in all competitions, Giroud lived up to the nickname by scoring 13 goals. The impressive output consisted of hat-tricks against Dijon and Sochaux^[70][71], match-winning goals against Nancy, Lyon, and Nice, and a goal each in the Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France.^{[72][73][74][75][76]}

As a result of Giroud's performance and the team as a whole, Montpellier topped the league table in November 2011.^[77] In January 2012, Giroud was linked with a transfer to several clubs. Montpellier's owner Louis Nicollin responded to the rumours on French radio station RTL and surprised many by deeming one club "not big enough" for Giroud, while also declaring that the striker would cost "at least €50 or €60 million".^[78]

International career[link]

Prior to representing the senior national team, Giroud did not earn any caps with the national youth teams. In 2001, he was called up to the under-16 team alongside the likes of Yoann Gourcuff, Yohan Cabaye, and Sylvain Marveaux by coach Pierre Mankowski to participate in a training camp held at the Clairefontaine academy.^[79] After the camp, Giroud was not called up for the duration of the 2001–2002 under-16 campaign.

On 3 November 2011, in a effort to reward Giroud for his performances domestically with Montpellier, national team coach Laurent Blanc named the striker to the squad to play in friendly matches against the United States and Belgium on 11 and 15 November 2011, respectively.^[80][81] Giroud described the call up as "a childhood dream come true", while also stating it is "immensely satisfying and a privilege" to represent the national team.^[82] He made his international debut in the match against the United States appearing as a substitute. France won the match 1–0.^[83] Against Belgium, Giroud earned another cap appearing as a substitute as the match ended 0–0.^[84] Giroud scored his first career international goal in a 2–1 friendly victory over Germany on 29 February 2012.

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of 21 May 2012

International[link]

As of 31 May 2012^[85]

International goals[link]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	29 February 2012	Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany	Germany	0–1	1–2	Friendly
Correct as of 29 February 2012

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Montpellier

• Ligue 1 (1): 2011–12

Individual[link]

• UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year (1): 2011–12
• UNFP Ligue 2 Player of the Year (1): 2009–10
• UNFP Ligue 2 Team of the Year (1): 2009–10
• Ligue 2 UNFP Player of the Month (2): September 2009, November 2009^[86]

Notes[link]

1. ^ Includes Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue matches.
2. ^ Includes Trophée des champions, UEFA Supercup, and FIFA Club World Cup matches.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Olivier Giroud

• Official site
• Olivier Giroud French league stats at LFP.fr (French)
• Olivier Giroud at L'Équipe Football (French)
• Olivier Giroud – UEFA competition record
• Olivier Giroud career stats at Soccerbase

v t e France squad – UEFA Euro 2012 1 Lloris (c) 2 Debuchy 3 Evra 4 Rami 5 Mexès 6 Cabaye 7 Ribéry 8 Valbuena 9 Giroud 10 Benzema 11 Nasri 12 Matuidi 13 Réveillère 14 Ménez 15 Malouda 16 Mandanda 17 M'Vila 18 Diarra 19 Martin 20 Ben Arfa 21 Koscielny 22 Clichy 23 Carrasso Coach: Blanc

This article is an orphan, as few or no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; suggestions may be available. (February 2009)

Graeme Churchill (born July 20, 1987) is a former Scottish football striker who is currently without a club. He previously played with Falkirk F.C. and Stirling Albion F.C.

External links[link]

• Graeme Churchill career stats at Soccerbase

This biographical article related to a Scottish forward is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2008)

Patrick Kevin Francis Michael "Pat" Nevin (born 6 September 1963 in Glasgow, Scotland)^[2] is a retired Scottish footballer. In a 20-year career, he played for Clyde, Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell as a winger.^[3] Nevin was a fans' favourite at Chelsea during the 1980s. He also won 28 caps for Scotland, scattered across a 10 year international career, and he was selected for the UEFA Euro 1992 finals squad.^[3] Since retiring as a player, Nevin has worked as a chief executive of Motherwell and as a football writer and broadcaster.

Professional career[link]

Clyde[link]

Nevin trained with Celtic as a youngster, but was rejected for being too small.^[4] He was signed by Clyde in 1981. In his first season, the club were promoted as Scottish Second Division champions; Nevin scored twelve goals and was voted young player of the year for the division.

In 2011 he was inducted to the Clyde hall of fame.

Chelsea[link]

'Wee Pat' as the Chelsea fans still affectionately call him, arrived at Stamford Bridge in mid-1983 for £95,000, joining fellow new recruits Kerry Dixon, Nigel Spackman, David Speedie and Eddie Niedzwiecki in manager John Neal's new-look Chelsea side. Nevin's skill and pace made him a pivotal player at Chelsea and he very soon became firm favourite with the fans.

In 1983–84, he scored 14 goals, created numerous others for the likes of Dixon and Speedie and put in some dazzling performances – during a 4–0 win over Newcastle United, he tormented the opposition defence, leaving five defenders trailing in his wake – as Chelsea won promotion as Second Division champions. In the same season he was voted Chelsea's player of the year. Chelsea finished a respectable sixth in the First Division the following year and reached the Milk Cup semi-finals, where Nevin was once again the star turn, setting up three goals in the quarter-final against Sheffield Wednesday as Chelsea came back from 3–0 down to draw 4–4; he also set up the winner for Speedie in the replay. The club were in the title race for much of the next season, with Nevin scoring a late equaliser against Liverpool at Anfield and a crucial header against West Ham United to seal a 2–1 win, though a late collapse saw Chelsea finish sixth after being in the title race for most of the 1985-86 season. A year later, the club's performances dropped and they finished 14th, though Nevin was again voted Chelsea player of the year. They were relegated a year later.

Everton[link]

Chelsea were relegated in 1988 and Nevin was sold to Everton for £925,000. He scored 20 goals in 138 appearances for the club, but struggled to re-capture his previous form with manager Colin Harvey adopting a far more rigid system. He helped the side reach the FA Cup final in 1989, scoring the winner against Norwich City in the semi-final, but they lost 3–2 in the final to arch-rivals Liverpool.

Howard Kendall returned to the club as manager in November 1990; he and Nevin openly disagreed with each other, which reduced Nevin's playing opportunities, as did the arrival of new wingers Robert Warzycha and Mark Ward.

Nevin was unfortunate to arrive at Everton just after one of the finest spells in their history, when they had collected two league titles, an FA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. In contrast, Nevin's four seasons at the club saw a runners-up medal in the FA Cup (1989) being the closest he came to being part of a trophy winning side, and they never finished higher than sixth in the league (1990).

Tranmere Rovers[link]

Nevin spent time on loan with fellow Merseyside club Tranmere Rovers, then in the second tier of English football, before signing permanently in 1992. The club competed in the Division One play-offs in three consecutive seasons (1992–1993, 1993–1994 and 1994–1995) but on each occasion they were eliminated in the semi-final.

Return to Scotland[link]

In 1997, Nevin returned to Scotland and played for Kilmarnock and later Motherwell before retiring in 2000.

International career[link]

In 1981 while playing for Clyde, he travelled to Finland to play for the Scotland under-19 team at the European Youth Championships and was named player of the tournament after helping Scotland win it.

Nevin won 28 caps for the Scottish national side, making his debut against Romania in 1986. He scored five goals in a ten-year international career and played at Euro 92, but was not selected in the final squads for the 1986 or 1990 World Cups. He made his final appearance for Scotland in 1996.

Retirement[link]

After retiring as a player, Nevin had a stint as chief executive of Motherwell. He resigned from the position in April 2002 after chairman John Boyle decided to place the club in administration due to serious financial problems.^[5]

He now works as a football pundit for BBC Scotland's Sportscene, Channel Five and BBC Radio Five Live.^[3] Nevin co-wrote a book, In Ma Head, Son, with psychologist Dr George Sik that was published in 1997. The book covers his experiences at Tranmere Rovers during the 1996–97 season and eschews the typical footballer's autobiography being a dialogue with Sik which explores his worries, motivation and troubles as he comes to the end of his playing career.

He has an arts degree from Glasgow Caledonian University. He was noted during his playing days for being somewhat different from the stereotypical footballer, especially through his interest in literature and the arts, and in his musical tastes, preferring The Fall and Joy Division to Phil Collins or Lionel Richie. As such, he was interviewed by the NME and was a guest presenter on Radio City during his Everton and Tranmere career. Nevin now lives in Duns,^[6] with his wife and two children. At the second Bowlie Weekender, hosted by ATP he played a DJ set,^[7] playing Belle & Sebastian, Orange Juice and "My New House" by The Fall while wearing a The Pains of Being Pure at Heart t-shirt. The following day he slipped an indiepop reference onto 5 Live while talking about the Man Utd vs Arsenal match.^[8] He has also appeared as a guest DJ at How Does It Feel To Be Loved?, a London indiepop and motown club night.^[9]

In 2010 Nevin signed as a non-playing substitute for new club Chester FC after Colin Murray of BBC Radio 5 live offered the new club £2,000 if they named Nevin and Perry Groves as unused substitutes at every game in the 2010-11 season.This was live on 'Kicking off with Colin Murray', a show Nevin has appeared on every week since the start of the 2009/10 season. Nevin is usually beaten by ex-Arsenal player Perry Groves in the weekly quiz.^[10]

Personal life[link]

Nevin grew up supporting Celtic,^[4] but now supports SPL rivals Hibernian, watching games at Easter Road when he is not otherwise engaged for football commentary.^[11] He has been reported to have switched allegiances for, among other things, feeling that his boyhood heroes had become a large corporate organisation and that Celtic Park no longer felt like home.^[11] Another reason for his switch was reported to be the IRA chanting from Celtic fans in front of his son.^[12] He also supports his former club Chelsea, and writes a weekly column for the Chelsea website.^[13]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Profile from BBC Press Office
• Pat Nevin on the Chelsea in America Celebrity Podcast (2009).