Nigel Martyn
The Cornishman who kept goal for England
| Full name: | Antony Nigel Martyn |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | August 11, 1966 |
| Clubs played for: | Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace, Leeds, Everton |
Club Career
Nigel Martyn began his career with Bristol Rovers in 1987 and made more than 100 appearances for the Pirates before a £1million move to Crystal Palace in 1989. It was at Selhurst Park that he really came to prominence and where he also won international recognition for the first time.
He spent seven years in south London, before spending a similar length of time at Leeds. His final move took him to Everton in 2003 and he remained there for three years before retiring in 2006.
Club Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-89 | Bristol Rovers | 101 | 0 |
| 1989-96 | Crystal Palace | 272 | 0 |
| 1996-03 | Leeds | 207 | 0 |
| 2003-06 | Everton | 86 | 0 |
International Career
Martyn won the first of his 23 caps against the CIS (the former USSR) in Moscow in April 1992. He had the misfortune to play in the same era as David Seaman, so much of his England career was spent as a back-up. He did play one game in a major finals, at Euro 2000, but unfortunately for him it was the 3-2 defeat to Romania that confirmed England's elimination.
International Career Stats
| Years | Clubs | App | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-02 | England | 23 | 0 |
Key Games
Crystal Palace 3-3 Manchester United (FA Cup final, May 12, 1990)
Having stunned Liverpool in the semi-finals to reach Wembley, Palace were hoping to upset the odds again and defy Manchester United - and they very nearly did. Twice they led the match - 1-0 and then 2-1 - with goals from Gary O'Reilly and substitute Ian Wright, who scored two, but in the end they had to settle for a replay after a thrilling 3-3 draw. The second game, sadly, failed to match the excitement of the first, with United winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Lee Martin.
Crystal Palace 4-1 Everton (Zenith Data Systems Cup final, April 7, 1991)
Eleven months after suffering Wembley heartbreak in the FA Cup final, Palace were back beneath the Twin Towers to take on Everton. Although the ZDS Cup didn't have the kudos of the FA Cup, it was nonetheless a trophy the Eagles were desperate to win - and they did so in magnificent style. Geoff Thomas put them in front, but Robert Warzycha equalised for Everton. In extra-time, the Eagles overpowered the Blues with two goals from Ian Wright and one from John Salako, to ensure the Palace fans were 'glad all over'.
England 2-2 Greece (World Cup qualifier, October 6, 2001)
One of the most memorable England games of all time saw Sven Goran Eriksson's side book their place at the 2002 World Cup finals with a nerve-jangling draw. They twice had to come from behind, but a header from Teddy Sheringham, just seconds after he had come off the bench, and a stunning injury-time free-kick from captain David Beckham rescued the day at Old Trafford.
Honours
| Club | Competition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Palace | Zenith Data Systems Cup | 1991 |
Did You Know...?
Martyn was first discovered by Bristol Rovers while playing for St Blazey. He wasn't scouted in the normal way, however. Instead, he was spotted by the club's tea lady while she was on holiday in Cornwall.
He became British football's first £1million goalkeeper when he signed for Palace from Bristol Rovers. He set another record fee for a keeper in 1996 when he joined Leeds for £2.25million.
Martyn was named in the greatest ever Leeds team in 2006 - one of only two players in the XI who was not part of the Don Revie era. The other was the legendary John Charles.
We want your help to grow the MirrorFootball.co.uk archive! Leave your comments about this piece of football history by clicking on the 'Your Memories' tab above. Tell us who or what you'd like to see covered in the MirrorFootball.co.uk archive by emailing archive@mirror.co.uk
(PDF2.5MB)
