Nigel Pearson
Encyclopedia
Nigel Graham Pearson is an English
football manager
and former professional player. He is currently in his second spell as manager of Leicester City
, having previously managed Hull City
, Southampton
and Carlisle United
, and been assistant manager for England Under-21s
and Newcastle United
. During his playing career, he was a defender
and played for Shrewsbury Town
, Sheffield Wednesday
and Middlesbrough
.
where he attended William Sharp Comprehensive school, and began his playing career with non-league Heanor Town
before joining Second Division
Shrewsbury Town
in November 1981. He made his first team debut in a 1–0 defeat at Oldham Athletic
on the opening day of the 1982–83 season. Pearson's first Football League goal came on 12 March 1983 in a 3–1 win against Barnsley
at Gay Meadow
. Pearson ended the season with 39 out of a possible 42 starts as Shrewsbury finished in ninth place in the table.
The following season, Shrewsbury finished one place higher but injuries restricted Pearson to 26 games. Injury prevented him from playing at all in 1984–85, when Shrewsbury again finished eighth in the table, but he returned in 1985–86 making 35 appearances as Shrewsbury dropped to 17th.
In 1986–87 he was an ever-present, making 42 appearances and contributing three goals, as the Shrews finished in 18th place. He started the next season, before being signed by Sheffield Wednesday
's manager Howard Wilkinson
on 12 October 1987 for a fee of £250,000.
In his six years with Shrewsbury Town, he made a total of 184 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals.
in 1987.
He won the League Cup
as Sheffield Wednesday captain, during the 1990–91 season
, being selected as "Man of the Match" in the final at Wembley. In the same season, he also helped Sheffield Wednesday win promotion to Division One. During the 1992–93 season, he helped Sheffield Wednesday reach both domestic cup finals, but sadly broke his leg in the League Cup semi-final, and therefore could not play in either final. In all Pearson made more than 200 appearances for the Owls, scoring 14 league goals - including the club's first in the Premier League in a 1-1 draw with Everton
at Goodison Park
on the opening day of the 1992-93 season
.
manager Bryan Robson
signed Pearson for £750,000 in 1994. Pearson captained them to promotion twice and to three domestic cup finals. Pearson retired from playing in 1998.
, Pearson helped to keep the club in the Football League
at the end of the 1998–99 season. He signed goalkeeper Jimmy Glass
on loan, who scored an injury-time goal against Plymouth Argyle
, saving the club from relegation to the Football Conference
at the expense of Scarborough
. The match was Pearson's last in charge of the Brunton Park
outfit.
In 1999 he was recruited as Stoke City's
first team coach by Gary Megson
. Although Megson was sacked later that year by the club's Icelandic consortium, Pearson was kept on for a further two years under Gudjon Thordarson, before being sacked in 2001.
Pearson moved to West Bromwich Albion
in November 2004 as assistant manager to Bryan Robson
, and took over as caretaker manager when Robson left the club in September 2006. Albion won three and drew one of his matches in charge, before stepping down from the role in preparation for the arrival of new manager Tony Mowbray
.
On 19 October 2006, he was linked with the Sheffield Wednesday
manager's position but instead took over as assistant manager of Newcastle United, replacing Kevin Bond
, who was dismissed following a bung scandal. Pearson's influence was most apparent in Newcastle's defence, which looked a lot more composed after Pearson became assistant manager.
On 1 February 2007, Pearson was confirmed as assistant coach to Stuart Pearce
, the England U21
team manager, until after the 2007 European Championships. As Pearce's contract limited him to involvement in only one friendly before the Championship, Pearson led the under-21s in their 3–3 draw against Italy on 24 March 2007, the first game at the new Wembley Stadium
.
When Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder
resigned on 6 May 2007, Nigel Pearson took charge of the remaining game of the season, away to Watford
. Pearson stayed on at Newcastle as a coach following the arrival of Sam Allardyce
as manager at the club. On 9 January, following the departure of manager Sam Allardyce
, he was re-appointed as caretaker manager for Newcastle's trip to Manchester United
. Newcastle lost 6–0, thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo
hat trick, a brace from Carlos Tévez
and a rare Rio Ferdinand
goal. On 16 January 2008, after Kevin Keegan
had been announced as the next permanent manager of the club, Pearson took charge of the team for the 3rd round FA Cup replay against Stoke City
, which Newcastle won 4–1. On 8 February, though, it was announced that Pearson had left the club.
on a rolling contract. His career at Southampton got off to a poor start, losing 2–0 to Plymouth Argyle
on the day he took charge; he thus had no involvement in selecting the team. He saw his first point and goal away at Scunthorpe United
.
On 4 May 2008, with only one game to go at home to Sheffield United
, the Saints were facing relegation to League 1
. After going 1–0 down, Pearson's side pulled-off an impressive comeback to win the game 3–2, and secure Championship status for another season, at the expense of Leicester City
, who could only manage a 0–0 draw with Stoke City
. On 30 May 2008, Pearson was replaced by Dutch coach Jan Poortvliet
after only three months in charge.
. Craig Shakespeare
became the club's first team coach and co-assistant manager alongside Steve Walsh (a former Chelsea chief scout, and not the Leicester City player of the same name). As well as having worked together on the West Bromwich Albion coaching staff, the two had also played together at Sheffield Wednesday. Shakespeare once said that Pearson was the best captain he had ever played under. Pearson was named League One Manager of the Month
for August 2008 after Leicester won three of their first four games, scoring nine goals and conceding only once. After the disappointing defeat of losing 3-2 away to Brighton & Hove Albion
despite being 2-0 up at half-time, Leicester bounced back with a club record 23 match unbeaten run in the league between 1 November 2008 and 7 Match 2009, before finally being beaten 2-0 to Tranmere Rovers
.. He was again named the League One Manager of the Month
during that run in December 2008. On 18 April 2009, Leicester won 2–0 at Southend United, confirming their promotion back to the Championship
as League One
champions. The season finished with the club racking up their highest ever point tally of 96 points as they lost just 4 of their 46 league games (also a club record for fewest defeats).
Leicester continued their upsurge in form under Pearson the following season in the Championship
, Leicester completed a full calender year of being undefeated at home before a 2-1 defeat against Preston North End
on 26 September 2009 ended the longest unbeaten home run in the country. Leicester spent almost the entire season in the play-off positions and an impressive month of February saw Pearson pick up the Championship Manager of the Month
award. Leicester eventually finished an impressive 5th place in their first season back in the Championship, booking themselves a place in the Championship play-offs and a chance of back-to-back promotions. However, they were defeated by Cardiff City
by virtue of a penalty shoot-out in the play-off semi final, despite fighting back from a 2 goal aggregate deficit in the second leg to briefly lead 3-2.
At the end of the season, Pearson took a hard line on controversial Leicester defender Wayne Brown
, who had publicly admitted in front of his team mates - including some of ethnic minority backgrounds - that he had voted for the far right British National Party
in the general election on 6 May. He dropped Brown from the side for the playoffs. During the close season, Brown left the club to sign for Preston North End.
Despite his relative success in his 2 years at Leicester, he often had a very strained relationship with chairman Milan Mandaric
and chief executive Lee Hoos and in the summer of 2010, Leicester's chairman Milan Mandaric
showed a consortium of potential club buyers round the club without Pearson's permission and invited Paulo Sousa
to the second leg of the play-off semi final. The club then allowed Hull City
to speak to him. Pearson claimed "it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what's happening" claiming the club didn't want to keep him. He then left Leicester to take the job at Hull City and Paulo Sousa was later appointed as his successor.
manager.
Despite severe financial difficulties following relegation from the Premier League, Pearson was still able to make some movement in the transfer market, bringing in players such Nolberto Solano
, Liam Rosenior
, Robert Koren
and Jay Simpson
. Despite winning the opening game against the future play-off winners Swansea City
, Hull City under Pearson endured a slow start to the campaign. Things began to turn for the better when the club won their first away game in over a year at Norwich City in September. Following that victory, Pearson led the club to breaking a 66-year-old record of consecutive away games without defeat. The season ended with an 11th-place finish.
Hull started the 2011–12 season well, with the club sitting one point outside the play-offs with a game in hand in the middle of November, however during the November international break it was clear his spell at Hull was coming to an end when on 7 November 2011 he requested permission to talk to his former club Leicester.
under their new ownership by chairman Vichai Raksriaksorn
and after days of negotiations he was finally re-appointed as manager on 15 November 2011 with Leicester sitting 12th in the Championship. Pearson started well, taking 7 points from his first 3 games which took Leicester into the top 6 for the first time since he had been at the club, over 18 months previously.
Updated 29 November 2011
Middlesbrough
England
England 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...
football manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and former professional player. He is currently in his second spell as manager of Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, having previously managed Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
, Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
, and been assistant manager for England Under-21s
England national under-21 football team
England'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....
and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. During his playing career, he was a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
and played for Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
.
Shrewsbury Town
Pearson was born in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
where he attended William Sharp Comprehensive school, and began his playing career with non-league Heanor Town
Heanor Town F.C.
Heanor Town Football Club is a football club established in 1883 and based in Heanor, Derbyshire, England. They have reached the First Round proper of the FA Cup six times in their history...
before joining Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
in November 1981. He made his first team debut in a 1–0 defeat at Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
on the opening day of the 1982–83 season. Pearson's first Football League goal came on 12 March 1983 in a 3–1 win against Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
at Gay Meadow
Gay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....
. Pearson ended the season with 39 out of a possible 42 starts as Shrewsbury finished in ninth place in the table.
The following season, Shrewsbury finished one place higher but injuries restricted Pearson to 26 games. Injury prevented him from playing at all in 1984–85, when Shrewsbury again finished eighth in the table, but he returned in 1985–86 making 35 appearances as Shrewsbury dropped to 17th.
In 1986–87 he was an ever-present, making 42 appearances and contributing three goals, as the Shrews finished in 18th place. He started the next season, before being signed by Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
's manager Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
on 12 October 1987 for a fee of £250,000.
In his six years with Shrewsbury Town, he made a total of 184 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals.
Sheffield Wednesday
He moved to Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
in 1987.
He won the League Cup
Football League Cup
The 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...
as Sheffield Wednesday captain, during the 1990–91 season
1991 Football League Cup Final
The 1991 Rumbelows Cup Final was a football match played on 21 April 1991 between Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday. It was the first of two years that the competition was sponsored by Rumbelows....
, being selected as "Man of the Match" in the final at Wembley. In the same season, he also helped Sheffield Wednesday win promotion to Division One. During the 1992–93 season, he helped Sheffield Wednesday reach both domestic cup finals, but sadly broke his leg in the League Cup semi-final, and therefore could not play in either final. In all Pearson made more than 200 appearances for the Owls, scoring 14 league goals - including the club's first in the Premier League in a 1-1 draw with Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
on the opening day of the 1992-93 season
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
.
Middlesbrough
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
manager Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
signed Pearson for £750,000 in 1994. Pearson captained them to promotion twice and to three domestic cup finals. Pearson retired from playing in 1998.
Managerial career
As manager of Carlisle UnitedCarlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
, Pearson helped to keep the club in the Football League
The Football League
The 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...
at the end of the 1998–99 season. He signed goalkeeper Jimmy Glass
Jimmy Glass
James "Jimmy" Glass is a former football goalkeeper. Glass is remembered for scoring the last-minute goal which kept Carlisle United in the Football League in 1999...
on loan, who scored an injury-time goal against Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, saving the club from relegation to the Football Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
at the expense of Scarborough
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
. The match was Pearson's last in charge of the Brunton Park
Brunton Park
Brunton Park is a football stadium and the home of Carlisle United F.C. It is situated in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria and has a certified capacity for the 2011/2012 season of 18,202. The ground opened in 1909...
outfit.
In 1999 he was recruited as Stoke City's
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
first team coach by Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
. Although Megson was sacked later that year by the club's Icelandic consortium, Pearson was kept on for a further two years under Gudjon Thordarson, before being sacked in 2001.
Pearson moved to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in November 2004 as assistant manager to Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
, and took over as caretaker manager when Robson left the club in September 2006. Albion won three and drew one of his matches in charge, before stepping down from the role in preparation for the arrival of new manager Tony Mowbray
Tony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...
.
On 19 October 2006, he was linked with the Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
manager's position but instead took over as assistant manager of Newcastle United, replacing Kevin Bond
Kevin Bond (footballer)
Kevin John Bond is an English football manager and former player. He is the son of John Bond, also a former footballer. He is currently employed as assistant manager at Tottenham Hotspur.-Playing career:...
, who was dismissed following a bung scandal. Pearson's influence was most apparent in Newcastle's defence, which looked a lot more composed after Pearson became assistant manager.
On 1 February 2007, Pearson was confirmed as assistant coach to Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart 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...
, the England U21
England national under-21 football team
England'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....
team manager, until after the 2007 European Championships. As Pearce's contract limited him to involvement in only one friendly before the Championship, Pearson led the under-21s in their 3–3 draw against Italy on 24 March 2007, the first game at the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
When Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
resigned on 6 May 2007, Nigel Pearson took charge of the remaining game of the season, away to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
. Pearson stayed on at Newcastle as a coach following the arrival of Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
as manager at the club. On 9 January, following the departure of manager Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
, he was re-appointed as caretaker manager for Newcastle's trip to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Newcastle lost 6–0, thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
hat trick, a brace from Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
and a rare Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
goal. On 16 January 2008, after Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
had been announced as the next permanent manager of the club, Pearson took charge of the team for the 3rd round FA Cup replay against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, which Newcastle won 4–1. On 8 February, though, it was announced that Pearson had left the club.
Southampton
On 18 February 2008, Pearson was appointed as manager of SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on a rolling contract. His career at Southampton got off to a poor start, losing 2–0 to Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
on the day he took charge; he thus had no involvement in selecting the team. He saw his first point and goal away at Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
.
On 4 May 2008, with only one game to go at home to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, the Saints were facing relegation to League 1
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. After going 1–0 down, Pearson's side pulled-off an impressive comeback to win the game 3–2, and secure Championship status for another season, at the expense of Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, who could only manage a 0–0 draw with Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
. On 30 May 2008, Pearson was replaced by Dutch coach Jan Poortvliet
Jan Poortvliet
Jan Poortvliet is a retired football defender from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, wearing the number two jersey. His biggest club successes came when he played for PSV Eindhoven in the mid- and late 1970s...
after only three months in charge.
Leicester City
On 20 June 2008, Pearson was appointed as manager of Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. Craig Shakespeare
Craig Shakespeare
Craig Shakespeare is a former professional footballer who went on to become a football coach. He is currently assistant manager at Leicester City after leaving Hull City to follow Nigel Pearson.-Playing career:...
became the club's first team coach and co-assistant manager alongside Steve Walsh (a former Chelsea chief scout, and not the Leicester City player of the same name). As well as having worked together on the West Bromwich Albion coaching staff, the two had also played together at Sheffield Wednesday. Shakespeare once said that Pearson was the best captain he had ever played under. Pearson was named League One Manager of the Month
Football League One Manager of the Month
The Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League One, the third tier of English football. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor and announced alongside The...
for August 2008 after Leicester won three of their first four games, scoring nine goals and conceding only once. After the disappointing defeat of losing 3-2 away to Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
despite being 2-0 up at half-time, Leicester bounced back with a club record 23 match unbeaten run in the league between 1 November 2008 and 7 Match 2009, before finally being beaten 2-0 to Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
.. He was again named the League One Manager of the Month
Football League One Manager of the Month
The Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League One, the third tier of English football. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor and announced alongside The...
during that run in December 2008. On 18 April 2009, Leicester won 2–0 at Southend United, confirming their promotion back to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
as League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
champions. The season finished with the club racking up their highest ever point tally of 96 points as they lost just 4 of their 46 league games (also a club record for fewest defeats).
Leicester continued their upsurge in form under Pearson the following season in the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, Leicester completed a full calender year of being undefeated at home before a 2-1 defeat against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston 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...
on 26 September 2009 ended the longest unbeaten home run in the country. Leicester spent almost the entire season in the play-off positions and an impressive month of February saw Pearson pick up the Championship Manager of the Month
Football League Championship Manager of the Month
The Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
award. Leicester eventually finished an impressive 5th place in their first season back in the Championship, booking themselves a place in the Championship play-offs and a chance of back-to-back promotions. However, they were defeated by Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff 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...
by virtue of a penalty shoot-out in the play-off semi final, despite fighting back from a 2 goal aggregate deficit in the second leg to briefly lead 3-2.
At the end of the season, Pearson took a hard line on controversial Leicester defender Wayne Brown
Wayne Brown (defender)
Wayne Lawrence Brown is an English footballer, who plays for Bury Town FC-Ipswich:Brown started his career as an apprentice at Ipswich Town, making 40 league appearances for the club and scoring once against Avenir Beggen in the UEFA Cup.-Watford:He had loan spells at Colchester, QPR and Wimbledon...
, who had publicly admitted in front of his team mates - including some of ethnic minority backgrounds - that he had voted for the far right British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
in the general election on 6 May. He dropped Brown from the side for the playoffs. During the close season, Brown left the club to sign for Preston North End.
Despite his relative success in his 2 years at Leicester, he often had a very strained relationship with chairman Milan Mandaric
Milan Mandaric
Milan Mandarić is a Serbian-American business tycoon who has owned a string of successful businesses and football clubs including Portsmouth, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday. He currently is the chairman of Sheffield Wednesday...
and chief executive Lee Hoos and in the summer of 2010, Leicester's chairman Milan Mandaric
Milan Mandaric
Milan Mandarić is a Serbian-American business tycoon who has owned a string of successful businesses and football clubs including Portsmouth, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday. He currently is the chairman of Sheffield Wednesday...
showed a consortium of potential club buyers round the club without Pearson's permission and invited Paulo Sousa
Paulo Sousa
Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.He was a member of the “Portuguese Golden Generation”...
to the second leg of the play-off semi final. The club then allowed Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
to speak to him. Pearson claimed "it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what's happening" claiming the club didn't want to keep him. He then left Leicester to take the job at Hull City and Paulo Sousa was later appointed as his successor.
Hull City
On 29 June 2010, he was appointed Hull CityHull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
manager.
Despite severe financial difficulties following relegation from the Premier League, Pearson was still able to make some movement in the transfer market, bringing in players such Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Albino "Nobby" Solano Todco is a Peruvian footballer who plays for Hartlepool United. He has spent much of his career in the English Premier League and also played 95 times for Peru between 1994 and 2009...
, Liam Rosenior
Liam Rosenior
Liam James Rosenior is an English footballer who plays for Hull City as a defender. He is the son of former Brentford manager Leroy Rosenior, and spent time on loan at Torquay United, where his father was manager, during their promotion season .-Club career:Born in London, Rosenior started his...
, Robert Koren
Robert Koren
Robert Koren is a Slovenian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Hull City and as the captain for the Slovenian national team.-Early career:...
and Jay Simpson
Jay Simpson
Jay-Alistaire Frederick "Jay" Simpson is an English footballer who plays for Millwall as a striker or winger, on loan from Hull City. He is a product of the Arsenal Academy.-Arsenal:...
. Despite winning the opening game against the future play-off winners Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
, Hull City under Pearson endured a slow start to the campaign. Things began to turn for the better when the club won their first away game in over a year at Norwich City in September. Following that victory, Pearson led the club to breaking a 66-year-old record of consecutive away games without defeat. The season ended with an 11th-place finish.
Hull started the 2011–12 season well, with the club sitting one point outside the play-offs with a game in hand in the middle of November, however during the November international break it was clear his spell at Hull was coming to an end when on 7 November 2011 he requested permission to talk to his former club Leicester.
Leicester City (second spell)
After Mandaric and Hoos had departed the club, Pearson was persuaded to rejoin Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
under their new ownership by chairman Vichai Raksriaksorn
Vichai Raksriaksorn
- Biography :Raksriaksorn is ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 35th richest man in Thailand. He is the founder and CEO of King Power Duty Free, an operator of duty-free shops. In December 2009, King Power received the royal warrant from the King of Thailand in a ceremony attended by Raksriaksorn.In...
and after days of negotiations he was finally re-appointed as manager on 15 November 2011 with Leicester sitting 12th in the Championship. Pearson started well, taking 7 points from his first 3 games which took Leicester into the top 6 for the first time since he had been at the club, over 18 months previously.
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Carlisle United Carlisle United F.C. Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.... |
 |
17 December 1998 | 17 May 1999 | 30 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 16.66 | Saved the club from relegation to the Football Conference Football Conference The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional... on the final day of the season |
| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
|
18 September 2006 | 16 October 2006 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 | As caretaker manager |
| Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
|
6 May 2007 | 15 May 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 00.00 | As caretaker manager |
| Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
|
9 January 2008 | 16 January 2008 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 | As caretaker manager |
| Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
|
18 February 2008 | 30 May 2008 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 21.43 | Saved the club from relegation to League One on the final day of the season. |
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
|
20 June 2008 | 29 June 2010 | 107 | 55 | 30 | 22 | 51.40 | Won the League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... title and reached Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... play-off semi-finals. Greatest win ratio of any permanent manager in the club's history. |
| Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football... |
|
29 June 2010 | 15 November 2011 | 64 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 35.94 | |
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
|
15 November 2011 | Present | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67 | |
Updated 29 November 2011
As a player
Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
promotion: 1990-911990-91 in English footballThe 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager... - Football League CupFootball 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...
winner: 19911991 Football League Cup FinalThe 1991 Rumbelows Cup Final was a football match played on 21 April 1991 between Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday. It was the first of two years that the competition was sponsored by Rumbelows....
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
- Football League Division One champions: 1994–95, runner-up (promotion): 1997-981997-98 in English footballThe 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
- FA CupFA CupThe 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...
runner-up: 1997 - Football League CupFootball 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...
runner-up: 19971997 Football League Cup FinalThe 1997 Coca-Cola Cup Final was played between Middlesbrough and Leicester City. The first game at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, 6 April 1997 ended in a 1–1 draw after extra time. Fabrizio Ravanelli opened the scoring only for Leicester's Emile Heskey to equalise in the last minute of extra time...
, 19981998 Football League Cup FinalThe 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final was a football match played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough on 29 March 1998 at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea, under new manager Gianluca Vialli, won with two extra time goals and would go on to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup later that season...
As a manager
Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
- Football League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
champions: 2008–09
Individual
Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
- Football League Championship Manager of the MonthFootball League Championship Manager of the MonthThe Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
winner: February 2010 - Football League One Manager of the MonthFootball League One Manager of the MonthThe Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League One, the third tier of English football. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor and announced alongside The...
winner: August 2008, December 2008