 Butt playing forNewcastle United in 2009 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicholas Butt[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1975-01-21)21 January 1975 (age 50)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Gorton,Manchester, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Salford City (chief executive officer) | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Manchester United | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1992–2004 | Manchester United | 270 | (21) | ||||||||||||||
| 2004–2010 | Newcastle United | 139 | (17) | ||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | →Birmingham City (loan) | 24 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | South China | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 436 | (42) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | England U18 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1992 | England U19 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | England U21 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1997–2004 | England | 39 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Manchester United U23 (interim) | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Nicholas Butt (born 21 January 1975) is an Englishfootball coach and former player who is a co-owner ofLeague Two clubSalford City. Butt played professional football as amidfielder from 1992 to 2011. He spent the majority of his career with Manchester United, where he won sixPremier League titles, threeFA Cups, fourFA Community Shields, theUEFA Champions League and theIntercontinental Cup.
Butt moved toNewcastle United in 2004. He spent one season on loan toBirmingham City in 2005–06. He finished his career abroad, playing forSouth China where he won theHong Kong League Cup.
Butt earned 39caps forEngland between 1997 and 2004. He was chosen for the2002 FIFA World Cup andUEFA Euro 2004.
Born inGorton,Manchester, Butt began his career atManchester United as an important part of their youth team before turning professional in 1993.
He made his first-team debut in the1992–93 season as a substitute againstOldham Athletic in a 3–0Premier League win on 21 November 1992, but did not get his big break in the team until the1994–95 season, often covering forRoy Keane in the event of injuries and suspension. One of his first appearances for the first team came in theFA Cup semi-final on 10 April 1994, also against Oldham as a substitute, this time in a 1–1 draw atWembley Stadium. United won the replay 4–1 atMaine Road but he was not included in the squad. 1994–95 saw Butt play 35 games in all competitions, scoring one goal and featuring in the starting eleven for the FA Cup final, which United lost toEverton.
With the departure ofPaul Ince toInternazionale in the 1995 close season, managerAlex Ferguson chose to draft in Butt as Ince's successor in midfield alongside Roy Keane. Butt was part of a notable batch of talented, young Manchester United players dubbedFergie's Fledglings, who had mostly been involved in United's FA Youth Cup-winning triumph of 1992 and gradually been introduced into the first team over the next few seasons. Others includedDavid Beckham,Gary Neville,Phil Neville andPaul Scholes – who all spent a decade or more in theOld Trafford team's first team and helped the club win numerous major trophies as the dominant force in English football.
Butt performed remarkably in his early seasons as a regular first team player at United, and often started in the lineup, scoring crucial goals, such as againstLiverpool inEric Cantona's comeback match in October 1995, and forcingNigel Winterburn to concede anown goal for the winner againstArsenal in November 1996 – a game which saw the end of a three-match losing run in the league. Butt also functioned as a steady replacement for Roy Keane as the midfield ball winner, while Keane was injured for much of the 1997–98 season, earning a PFA Team of the Year award that year. However, Keane returned and after forward Paul Scholes was re-deployed as a midfielder around the end of the 1990s. Butt's first-team chances started to become increasingly limited, with many of his appearances coming from the bench from this stage onwards.
Butt still went on to collect many honours at United, as the club capped their domination of the 1990s with a remarkable and uniquetreble win in 1999 (with Butt playing the whole of theChampions League Final due to Roy Keane being suspended), and several more titles in the years up till 2001. By the time of his departure fromOld Trafford, Butt had gained six Premier League title winner's medals, three FA Cup winner's medals and aChampions League winner's medal. He had also collected an FA Cup runners-up medal in 1995.
Butt handed in a transfer request in January 2004,[2] but turned down a proposed move toBirmingham City during the January transfer window.[3] He was signed byBobby Robson forNewcastle United in July 2004 for a fee of £2.5 million on a four-year deal, where he was seen as a replacement for the veteranGary Speed, who had moved toBolton Wanderers.[4]
Butt had a disappointing and injury-marred2004–05 season, prompting the then Newcastle managerGraeme Souness to signSenegalese midfielderAmdy Faye in January 2005. Despite a promising start, the fans turned on Butt after the 4–1 defeat against Manchester United in theFA Cup semi-final.[citation needed] The acquisition ofScott Parker andEmre in the summer of 2005 pushed Butt further down the pecking order, and his move to Birmingham City (managed by former Manchester United teammateSteve Bruce) on a season-long loan was announced on 3 August 2005.[5]
However, on 13 February 2006, Butt walked out on his manager and former Manchester United teammateSteve Bruce, after finding out Bruce placed his sonAlex Bruce in the squad ahead of him, and was later fined two weeks wages.[6] After Birmingham were relegated from the Premier League, Butt returned to Newcastle who were being managed byGlenn Roeder.[7]
Although not an instant fan favourite atSt. James' Park, Butt won over some fans with two goals scored through headers in a pre-season friendly againstVillarreal.[8] There was some speculation that newly appointedSunderland managerRoy Keane would try to sign his former Manchester United midfield partner. However, due to the lack of back-up midfielders at Newcastle and his good pre-season form, Butt remained at Newcastle.
During the2006–07 season, Butt was much more involved in the first team at Newcastle, playing in the holding role which allowed the likes of Parker and Emre to go forward. On 14 January 2007, Butt scored his first Newcastle goal in over 2 years when he scored the winner againstTottenham Hotspur in a 3–2 victory atWhite Hart Lane.[9] Butt's return to form was encapsulated when he captained Newcastle in aUEFA Cup match againstZulte Waregem on 15 February when Parker was injured.[10] His good form that season continued, as on 9 April, Butt won the man of the match award for his performance againstArsenal. He continued to captain Newcastle whenever Parker was injured, and by the end of the season it was widely considered that he had won over the Newcastle fans.[11]
With Parker having moved toWest Ham United, Butt continued to play a big part in Newcastle's 2007–08 campaign. On 21 December, he penned a new contract keeping him at the club until the end of next season.[12] After being an almost ever-present in that season, he expressed a desire to finish his career with Newcastle.[13] Butt also started the season as captain, filling in for the injuredMichael Owen, and proved to be a popular choice. Butt played his 100th league game for Newcastle on 21 December 2008, marking it with a 2–1 home win against Tottenham. Newcastle were eventually relegated that season, meaning that Butt's record of playing in everyPremier League season has been relinquished.
Butt was made permanent club captain for the2009–10 season, his first outside the top flight, followingMichael Owen's departure to Manchester United as a free agent during the summer transfer window. However, vice-captainAlan Smith's impressive form saw him take the armband more often than Butt. Butt started fewer games, but still effectively carried out his holding role well, leading his side to gritty shutouts in most of the games he started.
The club eventually won both promotion to thePremier League and theChampionship title, and Butt announced his retirement in the build-up to Newcastle's last home game againstIpswich Town.[14] He entered his penultimate game as a substitute and won a penalty en route to a 2–2 draw. Butt lifted theChampionship trophy alongside vice-captainAlan Smith.
After leaving Newcastle he was backed by former Newcastle bossChris Hughton to move into coaching, although a coaching position with Newcastle is not something Hughton had spoken with Butt about.[15]
On 6 November 2010, the chairman of Hong Kong clubSouth China,Steven Lo, said that the club expected Butt to sign for them at the end of the month.[16] Butt signed for South China on 22 November. Wearing the No. 8 shirt,[17] his first match was againstTSW Pegasus in a 2–1 win for South China. Butt scored from a free kick during this game but also missed a penalty.[18]
After leaving South China, he featured inGary Neville's testimonial againstJuventus on 24 May 2011 in central midfield alongsidePaul Scholes, rekindling the old times in a midfield that also containedDavid Beckham. However, they lost the game to the Old Lady. Butt also featured in midfield for Eric Cantona's New York Cosmos in Scholes' testimonial match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 5 August 2011.[19]
Having been capped five times at under-21 level, he won his first Englandcap during the1996–97 season against Mexico and became a squad regular, providing reliable backup for the central midfield positions. An injury to first choice midfielderSteven Gerrard before the2002 FIFA World Cup gave Butt his chance in the starting line-up alongside Manchester United teammatesDavid Beckham andPaul Scholes. Ahead of England's quarter-final game againstBrazil, he was named "the best player of the England squad" by Brazilian legendPelé,[20] a compliment to his performance in the unattractive holding role. England eventually exited the World Cup after a 2–1 defeat to Brazil.
After the World Cup he returned to his role as a squad player, providing experienced cover for the first-choice midfield pairing ofSteven Gerrard andFrank Lampard. He was selected forUEFA Euro 2004, but missed the tournament through injury. His last international appearance was in a friendly againstSpain on 17 November 2004. In total he appeared 39 times for England.
In October 2012, Butt returned to Manchester United as a coach for the club's reserve team.[21] He was appointed head of theacademy in February 2016, a few months after the departure ofBrian McClair.[22][23] Since November 2016, he has filled in as interim coach of the reserve (under-23) team afterWarren Joyce left for the managerial position atWigan Athletic.[24] He briefly served as assistant toRyan Giggs, after Giggs was made the interim manager of the Manchester United first team, following the departure ofDavid Moyes.
In July 2019, Manchester United restructured their backroom staff, making Butt the head of first-team development, reporting directly to managerOle Gunnar Solskjær to help improve the transition for young players from the youth team to the first team. Nick Cox replaced Butt as head of the academy.[25] In March 2021, it was announced that Butt was to leaveManchester United after 9 years there in various coaching roles within their academy.[26]
In 2014, it was announced that Butt, along with fellow ex-Manchester United playersRyan Giggs,Paul Scholes, andGary andPhil Neville had agreed a deal to purchaseSalford City ahead of the 2014–15 season.[27][28] with plans to get the club to theFootball League.[29] The group announced they would take part in a special friendly, with Salford facing aClass of '92 team.[30][31][32] On 22 September, the group agreed to sell a 50% stake in the club to billionairePeter Lim.[33][34]
On 31 October 2022, Salford City announced the appointment of Butt as the club's chief executive officer, taking over from Gary Neville who had served in that role in a part-time capacity for eight years.[35] On 15 October 2024, Butt announced he was stepping down as CEO of Salford to pursue coaching opportunities.[36]
Butt was arrested and bailed for assaulting a woman in 2004.[37] Butt married his long-time girlfriend Shelley Barlow in 2008.[38] They have two children.[39] Butt was arrested for alleged domestic assault in April 2019[40] but the case was discontinued after the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence. Butt accepted a caution for criminal damage.[41]
In June 2024, Butt was banned from driving for a year and ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work for breaking a motorcyclist's leg during an accident caused by Butt's "lapse of concentration".[42]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other[45] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United | 1992–93 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 | |
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 32 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 41 | 3 | ||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 6 | |
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 3 | |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 31 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 2 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 32 | 3 | – | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 42 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 21 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 270 | 21 | 29 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 71 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 387 | 26 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2004–05 | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 28 | 1 | |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 39 | 3 | |||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 37 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10 | Championship | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 20 | 0 | |||
| Total | 134 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 5 | ||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2005–06 | Premier League | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 | |
| South China | 2010–11 | Hong Kong First Division League | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| Total | 431 | 30 | 41 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 97 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 601 | 36 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1997 | 4 | 0 |
| 1998 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 0 | |
Manchester United
Newcastle United
South China
England U18
Individual
England squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
