 Pearson atLeicester City training in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nigel Graham Pearson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1963-08-21)21 August 1963 (age 62)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1981 | Heanor Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1981–1987 | Shrewsbury Town | 153 | (5) |
| 1987–1994 | Sheffield Wednesday | 180 | (14) |
| 1994–1998 | Middlesbrough | 116 | (5) |
| Total | 449 | (24) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Carlisle United | ||
| 2006 | West Bromwich Albion (caretaker) | ||
| 2007 | England U21 (caretaker) | ||
| 2007 | Newcastle United (caretaker) | ||
| 2008 | Newcastle United (caretaker) | ||
| 2008 | Southampton | ||
| 2008–2010 | Leicester City | ||
| 2010–2011 | Hull City | ||
| 2011–2015 | Leicester City | ||
| 2016 | Derby County | ||
| 2017–2019 | OH Leuven | ||
| 2019–2020 | Watford | ||
| 2021–2023 | Bristol City | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Nigel Graham Pearson (born 21 August 1963) is an Englishfootballmanager and former professional player. He last managedChampionship clubBristol City.[3] During his playing career, he was adefender and played forShrewsbury Town,Sheffield Wednesday andMiddlesbrough. As a coach he has taken charge ofHull City,Southampton,Carlisle United,Leicester City,Derby County,OH Leuven, andWatford; and was assistant manager forEngland Under-21s andNewcastle United.
Pearson was born inNottingham, where he attendedWilliam Sharp Comprehensive School. He began his playing career with non-leagueHeanor Town before joiningSecond DivisionShrewsbury Town in November 1981.[4] He made hisfirst-team debut in a 1–0 defeat atOldham Athletic on the opening day of the1982–83 season.[5] Pearson's firstFootball League goal came on 12 March 1983 in a 3–1 win againstBarnsley atGay Meadow.[5] Pearson ended the season with 39 out of a possible 42 starts as Shrewsbury finished in ninth place inthe table.[6]
In thefollowing season, Shrewsbury finished one place higher but injuries restricted Pearson to 26 games.[citation needed] Injury prevented him from playing at all in1984–85, when Shrewsbury again finished eighth in the table, but he returned in1985–86, making 35 appearances as Shrewsbury dropped to 17th.[7]
In1986–87 he was an ever-present, making 42 appearances and contributing three goals, as the Shrews finished in 18th place.[8] He started the next season, before being signed bySheffield Wednesday's managerHoward Wilkinson on 12 October 1987 for a fee of £250,000.[5]
In his six years with Shrewsbury Town, he made a total of 181 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals.[5]
Pearson moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 1987. He won theLeague Cup as captain during the1990–91 season, being selected as "Man of the Match" in the final at Wembley. In the same season he also helped the Owls win promotion to Division One.[5] During the 1992–93 season he helped Sheffield Wednesday reach both domestic cup finals, but broke his leg in the League Cup semi-final and therefore could not play in either final.[5] In total 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 withEverton atGoodison Park on the opening day of the1992–93 season.[9]
Middlesbrough managerBryan Robson signed Pearson for £750,000 in 1994. Pearson captained the side to promotion twice and to three domestic cup finals.[5] He retired from playing in 1998.[4]
As manager ofCarlisle United, Pearson helped to keep the club inthe Football League at the end of the1998–99 season.[5] He signed goalkeeperJimmy Glass on loan. In Pearson's last match in charge of the team, Glass scored an injury-time goal againstPlymouth Argyle, saving the club from relegation to theFootball Conference at the expense ofScarborough.[10]
In 1999, he was recruited asStoke City's first-team coach byGary Megson.[5] Although Megson was sacked later that year by the club's Icelandic consortium, Pearson was kept on for a further two years underGuðjón Þórðarson, before being sacked in 2001.[11]
Pearson moved toWest Bromwich Albion in November 2004 as assistant manager toBryan Robson,[12] and took over as caretaker manager when Robson left the club in September 2006.[13] Albion won three and drew one of his matches in charge, before stepping down from the role in preparation for the arrival of new managerTony Mowbray.[14]
On 19 October 2006, he was linked with theSheffield Wednesday manager's position but instead took over as assistant manager ofNewcastle United, replacingKevin Bond, who was dismissed following allegations he was prepared to takebungs for players whilst atPortsmouth.[15]
On 1 February 2007, Pearson was confirmed as assistant coach toStuart Pearce, theEngland U21 team manager, until after the2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[16] 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 newWembley Stadium.[17][18]
When Newcastle managerGlenn Roeder resigned on 6 May 2007, Pearson took charge of the remaining game of the season, away toWatford.[19] Pearson stayed on at Newcastle as a coach following the arrival ofSam Allardyce as manager at the club.[20] On 9 January, following the departure of Allardyce, he was re-appointed as caretaker manager for Newcastle's trip toManchester United.[21] Newcastle lost 6–0, after aCristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, a brace fromCarlos Tevez and aRio Ferdinand goal.[22] On 16 January 2008, afterKevin 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.[23] On 8 February, Pearson left the club.[24]
On 18 February 2008, Pearson was appointed as manager ofSouthampton on a rolling contract.[25] On 19 February 2008, his career at Southampton got off to a poor start, losing 2–0 at home toPlymouth Argyle in front of 17,806, the lowest recorded crowd atSt Mary's Stadium.[26] On 22 February 2008, Southampton gained their first point under his managership, drawing 1–1 away toScunthorpe United.[27]
On 4 May 2008, with only one game to go, at home toSheffield United, the Saints were in 22nd place and facing relegation toLeague One.[28] After going 1–0 down, Pearson's side pulled off a comeback to win the game 3–2, with two goals scored byStern John (who was also sent off) and one byMarek Saganowski.[29] Southampton secured Championship status for another season, at the expense ofLeicester City, who could only manage a 0–0 draw withPremier League-boundStoke City, and were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in their 124-year history .[30] On 30 May 2008, Pearson was replaced by Dutch coachJan Poortvliet after only three months in charge.[31]
On 20 June 2008, Pearson was appointed as manager ofLeicester City, then inLeague One.[32]Craig Shakespeare became the club's first team coach and co-assistant manager alongside Steve Walsh (a former Chelsea chief scout, and not the former Leicester City playerof the same name).[33] 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.[34] Pearson was namedLeague One Manager of the Month for August 2008 after Leicester won three of their first four games, scoring nine goals and conceding only once.[35][36][37] After the disappointing defeat of losing 3–2 away toBrighton & 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 March 2009, before finally being beaten 2–0 byTranmere Rovers.[38] He was again named theLeague One Manager of the Month during that run in December 2008.[citation needed] On 18 April 2009, Leicester won 2–0 atSouthend United, confirming their promotion back to theChampionship asLeague One champions. The season finished with the club racking up their highest ever points tally of 96 points, as they lost just four of their 46 league games.[5]
Veteran full-backChris Powell also joined Pearson's coaching staff as a player/coach in the summer of 2009,[39] as Leicester continued their upsurge in form under Pearson the following season in theChampionship. Leicester completed a full calendar year of being undefeated at home, before a 2–1 defeat againstPreston North End on 26 September 2009 ended the longest unbeaten home run in the country.[40] Leicester spent almost the entire season in the play-off positions and an impressive month of February saw Pearson pick up theChampionship Manager of the Month award.[citation needed] Leicester finished in 5th place in their first season back in the Championship, earning a place in the Championship play-offs and a chance of back-to-back promotions.[41] They were defeated byCardiff City following apenalty shoot-out in the play-off semifinal, despite fighting back from a 2-goal aggregate deficit in the second leg to briefly lead 3–2.[5]
At the end of the season, Pearson took a hard line on Leicester defenderWayne Brown, who had publicly said in front of his teammates – including some of ethnic minority backgrounds – that he had voted for the far-rightBritish National Party in thegeneral election on 6 May. He dropped Brown from the side for the play-offs.[42] During the close season, Brown left the club to sign forPreston North End.[43]
Despite his relative success in his two years at Leicester, he often had a very strained relationship with chairmanMilan Mandaric and chief executive Lee Hoos. In the summer of 2010, Mandaric showed a consortium of potential club buyers round the club without Pearson's knowledge and invitedPaulo Sousa to the second leg of the play-off semifinal. The club then allowedHull City to speak to him. Pearson said: "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what's happening" – suggesting the club did not want to keep him. He then left Leicester to take the job at Hull City and Paulo Sousa was later appointed as his successor.[44][45]
On 29 June 2010, he was appointed Hull City manager.[46]Despite financial difficulties following relegation from the Premier League, Pearson was still able to enter the transfer market, bringing in players such asNolberto Solano,James Harper,Liam Rosenior,Robert Koren andJay Simpson.[47][48][49][50] The club won their first away game in over a year atNorwich City in September. Following that victory, Pearson's club broke a 66-year-old record with 14 consecutive away games without defeat.[51] The season ended with an 11th-place finish.[5]
Hull started the 2011–12 season with the club sitting one point outside the play-offs, having a game in hand in the middle of November;[52] however, on 7 November 2011 Pearson requested permission to talk to his former club Leicester.[53]
After Mandaric and Hoos had departed the club, Pearson was persuaded to rejoinLeicester City under their new ownership by chairmanVichai Raksriaksorn, and after days of negotiations he was finally re-appointed as manager on 15 November 2011 with Leicester sitting 12th in the Championship.[54][55] Pearson started well, taking seven points from his first three games, which took Leicester into the top six for the first time since he had last been at the club, over 18 months previously,[56] before Leicester faced theHull City side Pearson had left just 18 days earlier. Leicester lost the game 2–1 thanks to a lateRobert Koren strike, as Pearson was greeted with chants of "Judas" from the Hull fans.[57] That result also signalled a downturn in form, beginning a run which saw Leicester fail to win for 5 consecutive games.[58] However, after the new year, Pearson rang the changes for the trip toCrystal Palace in an attempt to get back to winning ways, recallingAleksander Tunchev to play his first match of the season and bringing in reserve team playerTom Kennedy and 18-year-old youth academy graduateLiam Moore to make his first team debut for the club. His inexperienced team selection paid off as Leicester earnt a 2–1 victory to end their winless run.[59]
Pearson was sent to the stands in a 2–2 draw against his former clubMiddlesbrough, after the referee had allegedly "barged" into Leicester's dressing room unannounced, to which Pearson reacted angrily. The referee then left it to the fourth official to tell him he had been sent off. Pearson then appealed his sending off, saying, "I was giving my players instructions and there is no chance I will tolerate anyone coming in there who has nothing to do with my team. I'm within my rights to tell him to get out – he was telling me to hurry up. I can't wait to see the fall-out and I can't wait to appeal."[60][61] Pearson's appeal was successful, and he faced no disciplinary action fromthe Football Association (FA).[62] After an inconsistent season, Leicester ended the season ninth in the Championship.[63]
Leicester made a slow start to the2012–13 season, losing three of their first five league games and suffering a surprising defeat in the second round of theLeague Cup at the hands ofLeague Two sideBurton Albion; however, a run of five straight victories saw Leicester sitting top of the table after 12 games and also earnt Pearson a nomination for Championship Manager of the Month in September.[64][65] However, a drop in form in mid-season saw Leicester fall to fifth. The signing ofChris Wood, though, saw a rejuvenated Leicester go on another run of five consecutive wins, with Leicester reprising 2nd place in the Championship table, behind leadersCardiff City, and Pearson this time won the Championship Manager of the Month award for January 2013.[66] Again, a drop in form followedLeicester City's rise to second spot, and they only made the Championship play-offs on goal difference following their last gasp 3–2 win against neighboursNottingham Forest on the last day of the season.[67] After winning the first leg against third-placedWatford 1–0, Pearson'sLeicester City narrowly lost the second leg of the play-offs 3–1, afterAnthony Knockaert missed a last-minute penalty which would have sent them to Wembley.[68]
The2013–14 season saw Leicester recover from their play-off defeat of the previous season, starting well and sitting in first place at Christmas. It was during this time that the club started a club-record run of consecutive league victories, winning nine games from 21 December 2013 – 1 February 2014, which saw the club pull 10 points clear at the top of the Championship and earnt Pearson the Championship Manager of the Month award for January 2014.[69] Continuing good results, which saw Leicester play 20 league games unbeaten until the end of March, also earned Pearson the award again in March 2014.[70] Leicester ended the season as champions, winning promotion to thePremier League.[71]
In February 2015, following a home defeat by Crystal Palace in a game in which, at one point, Pearson put his hands around Palace'sJames McArthur's neck, while on the ground, the press reported that Pearson had been sacked. In a "night of confusion," it was reported byThe Guardian that club staff, and even Pearson himself, had been told that he was sacked.[72] However, the same evening, the club issued a statement stating that such claims were "inaccurate and without foundation."[73] Following victories againstWest Ham United,West Brom,Swansea City andBurnley, with just one defeat, againstChelsea, during the month of April 2015, Pearson won thePremier League Manager of the Month for the first time.[74] On 29 April 2015, following a 3–1 defeat to Chelsea, Pearson was again embroiled in controversy, when he called a journalist an "ostrich", "stupid" and "daft" during a post-match news conference. He apologised for his comments the following day.[75][76]
On 16 May 2015, Leicester City confirmed their Premier League status following a goalless draw withSunderland, becoming only the third team to escape relegation having been bottom at Christmas.[77] Leicester finished the season in 14th place.[78]
On 30 June 2015, however, Pearson was sacked, with the club stating that "the working relationship between Nigel and the Board was no longer viable." The sacking was linked to his sonJames's role in an alleged racist sex tape made by three Leicester City reserve players in Thailand during a post-season tour.[79][80][81] He was replaced at Leicester City byClaudio Ranieri, who took Leicester to the Premier League titlethe following year as 5000–1 outsiders. Sports journalists gave Pearson credit for building the team that won the title, as did playerRiyad Mahrez.[82]
After a year out of football, Pearson was appointed manager of Championship teamDerby County on a three-year contract on 27 May 2016.[83] On 27 September 2016, Pearson was suspended by the club pending an internal investigation[84] following a row with owner Mel Morris.[85] It was later claimed that the row began with Pearson's objection to Morris's use ofdrones to observe training sessions.[86] Pearson left the club by mutual consent on 8 October 2016, with Derby 20th in the Championship.[87]
After losing out on the managerial role at his former clubMiddlesbrough toGarry Monk,[88] Pearson was appointed as the manager ofBelgian First Division B sideOud-Heverlee Leuven on 22 September 2017.[89] He was sacked on 3 February 2019.[90]
Pearson was appointedWatford manager on 6 December 2019 on a contract until the end of the season. He was their third manager of the season afterJavi Gracia andQuique Sánchez Flores.[91] On 29 February 2020, with Pearson as manager, Watford defeated league leadersLiverpool 3–0. This was the first time in 45 games that Liverpool had lost in the Premier League.[92]
On 19 July 2020, Pearson was sacked with two games remaining in the2019–20 season. Watford were seven points adrift at the bottom of the league when Pearson took charge, and three points above the relegation zone when he was sacked.[93][94] Following Pearson's sacking, Watford went on to lose their remaining two games and were relegated.[95]
On 22 February 2021, Pearson was appointed manager ofBristol City on a contract until the end of the season.[96] On 29 April 2021, he signed a three-year contract.[97] He left Bristol City on 29 October 2023.[3] At that time he was the second-longest-serving manager in the Championship, and City were 15th in the league, having lost five of their past seven matches – Pearson's final game being a 2–0 defeat by Cardiff City on 28 October.[98]
Pearson's grandfatherPercy Mills also played football forNotts County.[99] Pearson's mother died on 3 January 2020 at the age of 84, but he took charge ofWatford'sFA Cup game againstTranmere Rovers the following day.[100][101][102]
In March 2020, Pearson fell ill and isolated for ten days underCOVID-19 protocols. In June 2020, a blood test confirmed he had previously contracted the disease. While still at Watford he suffered from secondary symptoms, including an irregular heartbeat, high resting pulse and swollen lips that saw him miss a press conference, although he only informed a small number of staff at the club of his condition. In August and September 2020, after his departure from Watford, Pearson endured a bout ofrheumatoid arthritis that saw him suffer with swollen joints. He struggled to move during this period, slept heavily and had a shortness of breath.[101][103][104] In September 2021, Pearson caught COVID-19 again and self-isolated for ten days.[105]
Outside football, Pearson is a keen outdoorsman and hiker.[101][103] He once encountered a pack of wild dogs while hiking alone in theCarpathian Mountains.[106][107] In 2022, he bought three acres of ancient woodland in Somerset, which he now manages. He enjoys oil painting, and has expressed an interesting in participating in theMongol Rally.[108] Had he not been a professional footballer, Pearson would have considered a career as a navigator in theRoyal Air Force.[103][109]
In October 2023 just before Pearson left his last managerial appointment at Bristol City, it was reported he was suffering from a neurological condition, and had been using the assistance of crutches to walk.[110] In December 2024 he announced that he had to learn to walk again and that his condition was improving.[111]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 1982–83 | Second Division | 39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 48 | 1 |
| 1983–84 | Second Division | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 1984–85 | Second Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1985–86 | Second Division | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 40 | 1 | |
| 1986–87 | Second Division | 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 50 | 3 | |
| 1987–88 | Second Division | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| Total | 153 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 184 | 5 | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1987–88 | First Division | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| 1988–89 | First Division | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 42 | 2 | |
| 1989–90 | First Division | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 38 | 1 | |
| 1990–91 | Second Division | 39 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 1[b] | 0 | 53 | 11 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 35 | 2 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 180 | 14 | 15 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 224 | 20 | ||
| Middlesbrough | 1994–95 | First Division | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 36 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | First Division | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 116 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 139 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 449 | 24 | 30 | 1 | 52 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 547 | 30 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Carlisle United | 17 December 1998 | 17 May 1999 | 30 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 016.67 | [113] |
| West Bromwich Albion (caretaker) | 18 September 2006 | 17 October 2006 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 075.00 | [14][113] |
| England U21 (caretaker) | 24 March 2007 | 24 March 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 000.00 | [114] |
| Newcastle United (caretaker) | 6 May 2007 | 15 May 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 000.00 | [19][113] |
| Newcastle United (caretaker) | 9 January 2008 | 16 January 2008 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050.00 | [21][113] |
| Southampton | 18 February 2008 | 30 May 2008 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 021.43 | [31][113] |
| Leicester City | 20 June 2008 | 29 June 2010 | 107 | 55 | 30 | 22 | 051.40 | [113] |
| Hull City | 29 June 2010 | 15 November 2011 | 64 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 035.94 | [54][113] |
| Leicester City | 15 November 2011 | 30 June 2015 | 182 | 85 | 38 | 59 | 046.70 | [54][113] |
| Derby County | 27 May 2016 | 8 October 2016 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 021.43 | [87][113] |
| OH Leuven | 22 September 2017 | 3 February 2019 | 56 | 18 | 15 | 23 | 032.14 | [115] |
| Watford | 6 December 2019 | 19 July 2020 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 031.82 | [113][failed verification] |
| Bristol City | 24 February 2021 | 29 October 2023 | 131 | 42 | 32 | 57 | 032.06 | [113] |
| Total | 627 | 245 | 168 | 214 | 039.07 | |||
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... his mum said he wanted to play for Notts County like his grandfather, Percy Mills, who was a player there for 15 years...
