Latest news with #NigelMartyn
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Martyn urges Vardy to join Celtic
Free agent Jamie Vardy, 38, is urged to join Celtic by former England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn. (Record), externalRead Friday's Scottish gossip
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jamie Vardy handed Celtic transfer pitch as two deals reach endgame
Free agent Jamie Vardy has been urged to reunite with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic. The Leicester City hero is still searching for his next club after leaving the King Power Stadium to a close at the end of last season. The 38-year-old has been touted with a move to Italy while reports also suggest that Crystal Palace are set to offer the veteran a short-term deal this summer. READ MORE: Kairat dealt triple Celtic blow as visa issues cause chaos for Champions League bid READ MORE: Ben Doak given Celtic transfer guarantee with Arne Slot stance on Liverpool deal clear But former England international Nigel Martyn reckons that there is "nothing better" than a link up with former Foxes' boss Rodgers for Vardy at this stage of the window. Speaking via Parimatch , Martyn said: " Jamie Vardy has been an unbelievable striker for Leicester City, hasn't he? I mean, his goals have been tremendous. "His game was initially based around his pace, but he's clever. There have been plenty of strikers who can boast unbelievable pace, but not as many who use their brain and time their runs as good as well as Vardy does. You don't see him caught offside very often at all. "He's been an incredible player for Leicester City. He'll want to keep going as long as he can. He comes across as the sort of player who looks like he loves doing what he's doing. "If you can find a former manager who enjoys working with you, like Brendan Rodgers in this case, then there's nothing better for a player. "It helps you feel secure. You're able to have the honest conversations around how much match time you'll be actually getting and that type of thing. "I have no doubt that Jamie Vardy will be a threat to anyone up in Scotland if he joins Celtic. He can start games one week and play up to 60 minutes, and the next week he could come off the bench and make an impact. "As a centre-half, the last thing you want to see after playing 70 minutes is somebody like Jamie Vardy and his pace come on to the pitch." Giuseppe Ambrosino has also been touted with a move to Celtic on loan from Napoli - but the Italian Under-21 youth international looks set to remain with the Scudetto winners. Amid interest from the Hoops and Serie A rivals Cremonese, boss Antonio Conte has opened up on the future of the 23-year-old striker. He said: "Ambrosino has joined us now, he has good prospects, we need to understand what's best for him, where to play or have him stay with us and grow humbly behind Lukaku and Lucca, also because I want to talk to the players about these decisions. They need to be convinced." Norwegian winger Sondre Orjasaeter had been on Celtic's radar - but has now completed a move to FC Twente from Sarpsborg. Celtic previously saw a £4.4million offer turfed out for the 21-year-old with the Eredivise side sealing a deal for £5million which could rise to £7million with add-ons. After sealing the move, Orjasaeter said: "It feels really good to be here. I have already had many good impressions of FC Twente. "I had heard a lot about the club and the supporters beforehand, and I am looking forward to playing in this fantastic stadium in front of so many fans."
New York Times
29-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Will Sean Longstaff keep playing cricket after joining Leeds? He already has one offer
Sean Longstaff's unveiling as Leeds United's latest summer signing was not your typical affair. Sure, there were plenty of big smiles to go with the obligatory now-available-in-the-shops kit, in this case the electric blue number that Daniel Farke's side will sport on the road in the Premier League. Advertisement But, where most new arrivals are handed a club scarf or even a football to hold aloft, the 27-year-old was instead clutching the symbol of a very different sport. Namely, a shiny red cricket ball. The unusual prop was a nod to Longstaff's other big sporting passion, as seen by the wider world on social media in the last couple of summers with footage of him bowling for Tynemouth Cricket Club. As the former Newcastle United midfielder explained to The Athletic just last weekend, he uses cricket as a close-season escape from the pressures of professional football, having first played for the north east club at the age of 11. Nigel Martyn, an Elland Road legend who today plays club cricket for Knaresborough in the ECB Yorkshire Premier League North, has seen the online clip of Longstaff bowling. Unreal! Newcastle player Sean Longstaff taking a wicket today for Tynemouth CC ☝️ — Cricket Shouts 🏏 (@crickshouts) July 5, 2025 'Sean has got a good bowling action,' says the former England goalkeeper. 'Gets through OK. Now he's signed for Leeds, there'll be a host of clubs who would welcome him with open arms, I'm sure. He's more than welcome to come and play for Knaresborough.' Longstaff's north-east roots running so deep mean any potential suitors for the 2026 cricket season are likely to be left disappointed. Pals at Tynemouth, while happy to see his football future sorted via that £12million move to West Yorkshire, have made it clear where his loyalties lay. 'They were reminding me I've left Newcastle,' said Longstaff in last weekend's interview, 'but I've not left Tynemouth Cricket Club.' Longstaff's most recent appearance for Tynemouth came in the July 5 victory over Felling. He scored 17 runs and took one wicket in what was his fourth appearance of the season for the club's first XI. Advertisement Whether he will be allowed to continue now that he is a Leeds player remains to be seen. During his seven years at Elland Road after being signed by Howard Wilkinson in the summer of 1996, Martyn's contract meant cricket was out of bounds for fear he might get injured. It was the same at all his clubs, with Gerry Francis, the manager of Bristol Rovers who gave the Cornishman his Football League chance in 1987, even forbidding his players from going on a jet ski when abroad during the summer. 1st XI v 1st XI 1st XI 36/3 (10), 285 reqd off 40 ov 9.3: Giddings to Scott, OUT Tom Scott c Nigel Martyn b Toby Giddings 0 (2) — Knaresborough CC (@KnaresboroughCC) June 18, 2022 As much as he loves cricket, Martyn was never tempted to try to squeeze in an appearance given how important his hands were to his career. Considering his managers at Leeds included disciplinarians such as Wilkinson and George Graham, this was probably for the best. 'I don't think it would have gone down well to turn up and tell them I had a broken finger or whatever,' he says. 'I'd have had to say it happened when doing something else.' Cricket and football used to be natural bedfellows, even at the top level. Denis Compton played 78 Test matches for England but lifted the FA Cup with Arsenal in 1950, while Ian Botham, one of the all-time great cricketers, kept fit during the winter months by playing for Scunthorpe United in the old Fourth Division. In Longstaff's newly adopted county, plenty enjoyed a dual career, with former Sheffield United full-back Ted Hemsley spending 17 years as a professional footballer and 21 years with Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Things started to change, however, when the respective seasons started to overlap in the early 1990s. Many had to choose, with Gary and Phil Neville both calling time on promising cricket careers to concentrate on trying to make it at Manchester United, just as James Milner did at Leeds before becoming the Premier League's second-youngest player for a time after making his debut aged just 16 years and 309 days. Advertisement Managers taking a dim view of their players risking injury made playing even club cricket difficult. Some chose to don the cricket whites anyway, including Huddersfield Town striker Andy Booth, not long after breaking into the team as a teenager under Neil Warnock in the mid-1990s. He hit 165 not out one Sunday in August for Hall Bower in the Huddersfield League, only to then turn up the following day at Town unable to train due to a bad back. Both Warnock and the club physio were puzzled by the injury. That was until Warnock, by chance, attended a cricket dinner a couple of days later and a Hall Bower official inadvertently let slip about Booth's epic innings. 'I was fuming inside,' wrote Warnock in his 2007 autobiography Made In Sheffield. 'You'll have a different kind of f***ing knock tomorrow, Boothy, I thought to myself. 'No wonder he had a bloody bad back. He'd been out at the crease for about four hours. I gave him a right going over.' Martyn's return to club cricket did not come until after he had retired. He joined Leeds Modernians in 2010, overcoming fears that the ankle injury that brought the curtain down on his football career may hinder a return to the crease. A move to Knaresborough followed for the goalkeeper turned wicketkeeper, who was part of the team that won promotion last year to the Yorkshire Premier. This time around, he is also turning out for Cornwall Over-50s, who last Sunday beat their Sussex counterparts to set up a National Cup quarter-final clash with Lancashire. As Longstaff found when footage of his wicket against Felling went viral, little remains under wraps in the modern sporting era. Martyn's cricket exploits may not have been quite as high-profile as the new Leeds signing, but he's been on the scene for so many years now that few heads are turned by his presence in the opposition. Advertisement 'There's probably only been one time when it's been different,' he says. 'We were playing Dringhouses away. They had a few Leeds United fans in their team, so were all asking for a few photos before the game. 'But that's the only real time when the opposition have taken a second look. Most know by now because I've been on the scene a bit.' The Athletic hopes this recognition extends to no one sledging the one-time footballer with 23 England caps to his name and over 660 Football League appearances? 'There's a little bit, the usual cricket stuff,' Martyn says. 'The thing is, I'm someone who likes to chat back. I like to have a laugh with people, rather than keep quiet. 'Someone might say as I'm batting, 'He was all right with a football, but he can't hit a cricket ball'. So, I'll just hit straight back by replying, 'Well, you haven't got me out, so what does that say about you?'. 'It's all done with a smile on your face. Because that's what club cricket should be about. Don't get me wrong, I take my cricket seriously and am very competitive. But I do find you play any sport better if you're in a good mood. It means you're in a good place.' Promotion to the Premier League under Farke means Martyn's old club are in a good place right now. Before The Athletic bids farewell to someone once voted Leeds' all-time best goalkeeper in a supporters' poll, talk switches to the winter sport. 'It's an important season,' says the 58-year-old. 'Trying to get your feet under the table, that's what it is all about when you go up. So many clubs yo-yo these days, but it can be done. 'Staying up has to be the aim this season, make sure you're there for next season. It's down to the manager to pick the right team and the lads to put the performances in. There's more quality in the group, so now you need to go out and compete as a team.'
Scottish Sun
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Ex-England star, 58, unrecognisable in Premier League debut of completely different sport 20 years after retiring
AN EX-England star has made his debut in the Premier League of an entirely new sport. Nigel Martyn is best remembered for spells at the likes of Crystal Palace and Leeds during his two-decade career. 6 Nigel Martyn has swapped goalkeeping for wicketkeeping Credit: Knaresborough Cricket Club 6 He did not bat in the game but took the gloves Credit: YouTube @Sheriff Hutton Bridge Cricket Club 6 He helped the club win promotion last year Credit: YouTube @Sheriff Hutton Bridge Cricket Club 6 Martyn spent time at Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Everton during his career Credit: Getty Images - Getty Martyn, 58, hung up his goalkeeping gloves in 2006 after picking up 23 caps for England. Now, nearly 20 years later he has got himself a new type of glove as a wicketkeeper for a ECB Yorkshire Premier League North side. He made his first appearance of the season for Knaresborough CC against Sheriff Hutton Bridge CC. Martyn had even taken the gloves ahead of Jonathan Tattersall, though he still managed to knock a half-century. READ MORE ON SPORT ALL O-VAR IT Jamie Vardy tipped for 'most obvious transfer of all time' upon Leicester exit The cricketer is a specialist wicketkeeper and is playing for Knaresborough following his exit from Yorkshire CCC where he had been captain. Knaresborough CC scored 176/8 in their 50 overs while Martyn did not bat at Moor Farm Ground. Martyn started his footballing career back in 1986 at St Blazey in Cornwall. He joined Bristol Rovers in 1987 after reportedly being spotted by a club tea lady. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Two years later, he made the move to Palace for a transfer fee worth £1million. This made him the most expensive goalkeeper in English football history. Jack Wilshere in race against time as he faces huge 350-mile commute from managerial debut to run London Marathon 6 He earned 23 caps for England in his career Credit: Getty 6 He retired in 2006 after an ankle injury Credit: Getty Images - Getty He played 349 times for the South London club but tasted defeat in the 1990 FA Cup final to Manchester United. He then broke the previous transfer record in 1996 when he moved to Leeds United for £2.25m. He performed so well at Elland Road that he was voted as part of the club's greatest ever team and the only player from after the Don Revie era. In 2003, he made the move to Everton despite interest from Chelsea. He retired in 2006 following a stress fracture in his ankle and was hailed by manager David Moyes as his "greatest ever signing". Martyn earned almost two dozen caps for the Three Lions but spent most of his career as the second-choice behind David Seaman.
The Irish Sun
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Ex-England star, 58, unrecognisable in Premier League debut of completely different sport 20 years after retiring
AN EX-England star has made his debut in the Premier League of an entirely new sport. Nigel Martyn is best remembered for spells at the likes of Advertisement 6 Nigel Martyn has swapped goalkeeping for wicketkeeping Credit: Knaresborough Cricket Club 6 He did not bat in the game but took the gloves Credit: YouTube @Sheriff Hutton Bridge Cricket Club 6 He helped the club win promotion last year Credit: YouTube @Sheriff Hutton Bridge Cricket Club 6 Martyn spent time at Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Everton during his career Credit: Getty Images - Getty Now, nearly 20 years later he has got himself a new type of glove as a wicketkeeper for a ECB Yorkshire Premier League North side. He made his Martyn had even taken the gloves ahead of Jonathan Tattersall, though he still managed to knock a half-century. Advertisement READ MORE ON SPORT The cricketer is a specialist wicketkeeper and is playing for Knaresborough following his exit from Yorkshire CCC where he had been captain. Knaresborough CC scored 176/8 in their 50 overs while Martyn did not bat at Moor Farm Ground. Martyn started his footballing career back in 1986 at St Blazey in Cornwall. He joined Bristol Rovers in 1987 after reportedly being spotted by a club tea lady. Advertisement Most read in Football Breaking Exclusive Breaking JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Two years later, he made the move to Palace for a transfer fee worth £1million. This made him the most expensive goalkeeper in English football history. Jack Wilshere in race against time as he faces huge 350-mile commute from managerial debut to run London Marathon 6 He earned 23 caps for England in his career Credit: Getty Advertisement 6 He retired in 2006 after an ankle injury Credit: Getty Images - Getty He played 349 times for the South London club but tasted defeat in the 1990 FA Cup final to Manchester United. He then broke the previous transfer record in 1996 when he moved to He performed so well at Elland Road that he was voted as part of the club's greatest ever team and the only player from after the Don Revie era. Advertisement In 2003, he made the move to He retired in 2006 following a stress fracture in his ankle and was hailed by manager David Moyes as his "greatest ever signing". Martyn earned almost two dozen caps for the Three Lions but spent most of his career as the second-choice behind Who are these famous footballers? I was West Ham captain but I almost I'm a I'm an ex-Man Utd star - now I was Thierry Henry's toughest opponent but I'm a former Wolves striker but I left football behind
