| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Garry Paul Nelson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1961-01-16)16 January 1961 (age 64) | ||
| Place of birth | Braintree, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker,left winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1983 | Southend United | 129 | (17) |
| 1983–1985 | Swindon Town | 79 | (7) |
| 1985–1987 | Plymouth Argyle | 74 | (20) |
| 1987–1991 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 144 | (47) |
| 1990 | →Notts County (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 1991–1996 | Charlton Athletic | 185 | (37) |
| 1996–1997 | Torquay United | 34 | (8) |
| Total | 647 | (136) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Garry Paul Nelson (born 16 January 1961) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as astriker orleft winger inthe Football League forSouthend United,Swindon Town,Plymouth Argyle,Brighton & Hove Albion,Charlton Athletic andTorquay United (as player/assistant manager) between 1979 and 1997.[3] He was voted into Plymouth Argyle's Team of the Century.[4]
Nelson passed eight 'O' Levels and 3 'A' Levels (French, Geography and Geology) and had the chance to attend Loughborough University but accepted the offer of a professional contract at Southend instead.[5] Nelson also wrote two memoirs about his professional career,Left Foot Forward andLeft Foot in the Grave. The books are written in diary form, chronicling a season with Charlton (1994–95) and Torquay (1996–97) respectively. The books have been generally well received, and noted as showing the real life of "ordinary" professional footballers, became best-sellers, and each was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.[6][7]
After retiring from the game in 1997, Nelson became commercial executive of theProfessional Footballers' Association. In 2018, he was still playing football, regularly turning out for Chapel United in the Southend Borough Combination Veterans League and Charlton Athletic veterans.[8]
Individual
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |