David James Nugent is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer
strikerForwards, 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...
, who currently plays for
Leicester CityLeicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. Before joining Leicester, Nugent made a total of 228 appearances in
the Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for
BuryBury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
,
Preston North EndPreston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
and
PortsmouthPortsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. While a Preston player he made his debut for
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Early career
Nugent was a member of the
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
youth academy but left in 2001, aged 15, without being offered a professional contract. It was only once he changed his position that he then became a professional with
BuryBury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
, joining the club's successful Youth and Centre of Excellence department. After making his debut as a substitute against
Port ValePort Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in March 2002 at the age of just 16, Nugent initially struggled to live up to his early potential, but an explosive start to the
2004–05The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
Football League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
campaign saw several larger clubs take an interest.
Preston North End
Although a target for rivals
BurnleyBurnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, Nugent opted to join
Preston North EndPreston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
rather than
Northampton TownNorthampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
from
BuryBury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
in January 2005 for a fee of £100,000 and proved himself more than worthy at Championship level.
He scored 10 league goals in 32 Championship appearances in
2005–06The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
, as Preston finished fourth, losing to Leeds United in the playoff semi-final, thus failing to gain promotion. Despite transfer speculation, Nugent spent the following season at Preston, scoring 15 goals in 43 appearances, and winning England recognition. Preston finished seventh in
2006–07The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
.
Nugent left Preston during the summer of 2007.
Portsmouth
After both
SunderlandSunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and
PortsmouthPortsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
had bids in the region of £6 million accepted for the player, Nugent was eventually unveiled as a Pompey player at a press conference alongside
John UtakaJohn Chukwudi Utaka is a Nigerian footballer who played as a striker for Montpellier of the Ligue 1. He is the older brother of Peter Utaka, who plays for OB in Denmark.- Club career :...
on 11 July 2007. However, rumours followed just weeks later that
Derby CountyDerby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
were considering a bid for Nugent and that he would be leaving Portsmouth in the same transfer window he arrived in. Nugent scored on his debut in a non-competitive 8-0 win against
Isle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
side Newport and later signed many autographs in a fan-filled pitch invasion. In a post-match press conference following a Carling Cup game early on in Nugent's Pompey career, in which he scored his first goal for the club, Portsmouth manager
Harry RedknappHenry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
publicly stated Nugent would be free to leave the club if the right offer came in to help fund a move for more players. However, Nugent stated he wanted to stay at Portsmouth.
A possible loan deal to
Ipswich TownIpswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
fell through in early March 2008 with
Jim MagiltonJames "Jim" Magilton is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager, who is currently employed as Football Consultant at Shamrock Rovers F.C. after being appointed on 6 July 2011....
, the Ipswich manager, left questioning Nugent's fitness.
Nugent appeared frequently for Portsmouth in the FA Cup, scoring a goal in their initial Third Round tie against Ipswich Town. His role culminated in coming on for John Utaka in the 69th minute of
the finalThe 2008 FA Cup Final was a football match held at Wembley Stadium on 17 May 2008 and was the final match of the 2007–08 FA Cup competition. The match was the 127th FA Cup Final, and the second to be held at the new Wembley Stadium since its redevelopment. The match was contested by Portsmouth and...
against
Cardiff CityCardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, eventually winning the trophy.
The next season and after 18 months at the club, Nugent scored his first
Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
goal – against former manager Harry Redknapp at
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in a 1–1 draw on 18 January 2009. Two matches later he scored his second goal at
FulhamFulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and followed this up with his first league goal at
Fratton ParkFratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
, scoring against
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 7 February 2009. However, these were to be Nugent's only top flight goals for Pompey.
On 5 August 2009, it was reported that Nugent had been involved in an alleged bust-up with fellow team mate Marc Wilson during Portsmouth's pre-season trip to Portugal. Both players were sent home and subsequently fined two weeks' wages by the club.
Burnley
On 1 September 2009, it was reported that Nugent was in talks with
BurnleyBurnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
about a loan move. Thirty minutes after the transfer window closed it was reported that Burnley had signed Nugent on a six-month-long loan deal with a view to a permanent move, subject to Premier League clearance. On 12 September, he made his debut for
the Clarets when he replaced
Martin PatersonMartin Andrew Paterson is an English born Northern Irish footballer who plays as a striker for English Championship side Burnley...
70 minutes into the game against
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
at
AnfieldAnfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. After coming on as a second half substitute for the Clarets on his home debut against Sunderland, Nugent scored two goals, helping Burnley to a 3–1 win. Nugent scored his third goal of the season against Bolton.
On 30 January 2010, Nugent was told that he had to go back to
PortsmouthPortsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
and train with the club, but was then told to travel back to Burnley. After two days of travelling back and forth between Portsmouth and Burnley, new manager
Brian LawsBrian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...
triggered an extension clause in Nugent's contract. Nugent signed another loan agreement with Burnley on 1 February which would keep him at the club on loan until June. He repaid the faith shown in him by Laws by opening the scoring in the home win against West Ham United on 6 February.
Return to Portsmouth
After failing to regotiate a permanent deal with Burnley or attract an alternative Premiership club, Nugent returned to newly relegated Portsmouth in the 2010–11 pre-season. He was a regular starter as a
left sided forwardOutside forward is a position in association football which refers to a footballer who plays as an advanced forward on the right or left wing - as an outside right or outside left. Typically as part of a 2-3-5 formation or one of its variants...
. After an initial goal drought that saw him fail to hit the net until his goal in a 6–1 defeat of
Leicester CityLeicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on 24 September 2010, (his first for Pompey since February 2009), Nugent finished the season as Portsmouth's top goalscorer, scoring 14 goals in all competitions.
Leicester City
On 5 July 2011, Nugent signed for Leicester City on a three-year deal after his contract with
PortsmouthPortsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
expired. He made his competitive debut in a 1-0 win over
Coventry CityCoventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on 6 August 2011, scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-1 defeat to
Bristol CityBristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
on 17 August.
International career
He made his debut for
England U21sEngland's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
against
WalesThe Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
in February 2005. He scored his first goal for the team on his debut, in the 2–2 draw with Moldova on 15 August 2006. Teamed up front again with Arsenal's young
Theo WalcottTheo James Walcott is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton F.C. Academy. He is a striker who is usually deployed on the right wing as a wide forward to exploit his speed...
, he scored his second goal for England U21s in the 3–2 win over Switzerland on 6 September 2006 that advanced the team into the play-off round of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He scored his third goal for the U21s against
SpainThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
on 6 February 2007 in a 2–2 draw,
Stuart PearceStuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
's first game as coach.
On 19 March 2007, following much speculation after
Steve McClarenStephen "Steve" McClaren is an English football manager and former player.McClaren was previously manager of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany between May 2010 and February 2011, having left his post at Dutch side FC Twente, with whom he won the club's first Eredivisie championship in the 2009–10 season...
confirmed he had been watching Nugent, David was called into the full England squad to replace the injured
Darren BentDarren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...
of
Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
On 28 March 2007, Nugent made his debut as a late substitute for
EnglandThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in a Euro 2008 qualifying match against
AndorraThe Andorra national football team represents Andorra in association football and is controlled by the Andorran Football Federation, the governing body for football in Andorra. The team has enjoyed very little success due to the Principality's tiny population, the fourth smallest of any UEFA...
in
BarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and marked the occasion with a 93rd-minute goal after a
Jermain DefoeJermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team....
shot. Nugent, in his post-match press interview, expressed genuine satisfaction over having accomplished a "1 Goal/1 Cap" national team record; Nugent is one of just three players to have exactly one substitute appearance and one goal for England, the others being
Paul GoddardPaul Goddard is a former professional footballer and football manager.During his playing career, he gained caps for England U21s and earned a single full cap for the England team against Iceland in June 1982...
and
Francis JeffersFrancis Jeffers is an English football striker who currently plays for Newcastle United Jets in the A-League. In his career Jeffers has played for Barclays Premier League teams Everton and Arsenal...
. Since then, Nugent has failed to secure another outing with England.
He was the first Preston player to play for the national team since
Tom FinneySir Thomas Finney, OBE is a former English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End, and for his performances in the English national side....
some 49 years previously and the first England national team footballer from a club playing in
The Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
since
David JamesDavid Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...
of
West HamWest Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in 2003. He was also the first
Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
outfield player since Michael Gray of
SunderlandSunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in 1999.
In June 2007, he represented the Under-21s in the
UEFA Under-21 ChampionshipThe UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
in the Netherlands.
International goals
| # |
Date |
Venue |
Opponent |
Score |
Result |
Competition |
| 01. |
28 March 2007 |
Estadi Olímpic Lluís CompanysEstadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is a stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city , it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics...
, BarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
|
|
3 – 0 |
3 – 0 |
UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying |
Career statistics
| Club |
Season |
LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
|
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
|
League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
|
Other |
Total |
| Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
BuryBury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
|
2000–01 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
| 2001–02 |
32 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
39 |
5 |
| 2002–03 |
26 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
29 |
3 |
| 2004–05 |
27 |
11 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
12 |
| Total |
90 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 103 | 20 |
PrestonPreston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
|
2004–05 |
18 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
21 |
9 |
| 2005–06 |
32 |
10 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
38 |
11 |
| 2006–07 |
44 |
15 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 48 |
17 |
| Total |
94 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 107 | 37 |
PortsmouthPortsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
|
2007–08 |
15 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
| 22 |
3 |
| 2008–09 |
16 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 19 |
3 |
| 2009–10 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
| Total |
34 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 45 | 6 |
BurnleyBurnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
(loan) |
2009–10 |
30 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
6 |
| Total |
30 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 6 |
PortsmouthPortsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
|
2010–11 |
44 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
48 |
14 |
| Total |
44 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 14 |
Leicester CityLeicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
|
2011–12 The 2011–12 Football League Championship is the eighth season of the league under its current title and nineteenth season under its current league division format....
|
14 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
6 |
| Total |
14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 |
External links