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Nicky Weaver not ready to hang gloves up yet
Former Manchester City Nicky weaver has no plans to retire despite being released by Sheffield Wednesday, fuelled by his lost years with the Blues.
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Former Manchester City goalkeeper Nicky Weaver Former Manchester City goalkeeper Nicky Weaver
Lengthy contracts handed to players are seen as obscene luxuries in a game swelled by money, but for Nicky Weaver it saved his career from certain despair.
One season into a five-year deal at City, the goalkeeper suffered the first in a series of serious knee injuries that culminated in him needing cartilage from a dead man to hold together a joint that had failed to respond to four previous operations.
Without the cushion of time to heal properly – which ended up taking the best part of three long years and five trips to see specialists in America – the 34-year-old firmly believes he wouldn’t be in the privileged position he is today.
Not many would label being out of contract and on the lookout for new employers, enviable and following his release from Championship Sheffield Wednesday Weaver could be forgiven for worrying about his future.
That hellish injury-hit time has relaxed him, however. When Weaver talks about being close to leaving the game, he really means it.
“At one point I was having to inform my insurers regularly about my progress because it looked like I was going to retire and make a claim,” Weaver told M.E.N. Sport.
“That’s how close I got. A lot of players say they nearly packed in but I don’t think I could’ve got any closer.
“I played one game in three years and had five operations over a period of 18 months.
“I was lucky that I was at a club like City that could afford to send me over to America.
“I had four years left on my contract. If I hadn’t have had those years left I don’t know what would’ve happened.
“I played 14 games on loan at Wednesday, came back to City where they offered me another year.
“Then I played 31 games in the 2006-07 season – that was probably my biggest achievement in football.
“People thought I’d fallen off the face of the earth because they hadn’t heard of me for so many years.”
Weaver did stay in the mind of supporters at Eastlands, though, and will forever remain synonymous with the club’s resurgence during the late 1990s.
In his first full year as a professional, Weaver thwarted two Gillingham penalty takers in the Division Two play-off shoot-out to clinch promotion.
The crazy Wembley sprint that ensued, hurdling advertising hoardings, sticks in the memory as much as Paul Dickov’s dramatic injury-time equaliser an hour beforehand.
“That was the start of the club’s revival. My shirt is hung halfway up the stairs at my mum and dad’s house. It’s still got mud on it!” Weaver laughed.
“I don’t know why I went on a stupid run. I asked the linesman ‘if I save this one is that it?’ and he went ‘yeah, it’s over’. Then I saved it and didn’t know what to do.
“I waved the lads over and then thought I’d go on a little run and ended up going halfway around Wembley. It was only Andy Morrison who managed to drag me down.
“There was a big pile-on and that was probably the defining moment in my career.
“You don’t fully appreciate it. The first season finished at Wembley and the second year ended by beating Blackburn with successive promotions and we’re in the Premier League. I thought it was all so easy.
“After the second promotion we went to the Midland Hotel for a reception. I was sat down with Ian Bishop who was telling me to make the most of it because this won’t last forever. I was looking at him thinking he didn’t know what he was talking about.
“I was only 21, but suddenly now I find myself being that player talking to the young lads and they look at me like how I looked at Bish that day.”
Weaver, who revealed he ‘doesn’t fancy’ coaching when he retires, talks about reminiscing in the twilight of his career, but wants to continue to play for as long as possible.
He has been linked with a move to join up with Dickov at Doncaster Rovers but isn’t ruling out anything – even going abroad.
“Thirty-four isn’t old for a goalkeeper when you look at people like Mark Schwarzer and David James. I had the privilege of playing with David Seaman and Peter Schmeichel who were both 40 at City.
“I obviously want to be a No 1, but you don’t know what opportunities can arise. If a club has a good young goalkeeper then you can help out. Tommy Wright was back-up to me at City and there was no bitterness – he was great. He played a very important part in my development and we’d spend hours talking about stuff.
“I had a chance to go to New York Red Bulls a few years ago but at the time it wasn’t right for me. It was a bit too early. Now, I’d think differently.”
This is the same man who, as a teenager when asked by City chairman Francis Lee what he thought he was worth, replied: ‘whatever, anything’.
“I knew City had been watching me for Mansfield’s reserves because my dad had seen Alex Stepney – the goalkeeping coach – at a couple of games,” he said.
“I’ll be honest with you – I didn’t know who Alex Stepney was at the time. Then my dad explained and I was like ‘wow – he’s an all-time great at United’.
“Before I knew it they’d put a bid in and I was off to Manchester. I was on £42.50 a week when City came in for me.
“I remember the day I actually signed. We had lunch with Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee. Again, I knew the names but they were before my time.
“My dad though – he was in his element. He’s a similar age to them and couldn’t believe it. Then we bumped into Colin Bell!
“Apart from when me and my brother were born, it was probably the best day of his life.
“It’s only when you look back now that you truly realise how amazing it was. You go into the dressing room with Nigel Clough, Uwe Rosler and Georgi Kinkladze.
“I’d been watching them on the TV a couple of months previous.”
Aware he’s lucky still to be in the game a decade on from injury oblivion, Weaver is not about to call it quits now.
Nicky Weaver not ready to hang gloves up yet
Former Manchester City Nicky weaver has no plans to retire despite being released by Sheffield Wednesday, fuelled by his lost years with the Blues.
Share on print Share on email
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Nicky Weaver Former Manchester City goalkeeper Nicky Weaver
Lengthy contracts handed to players are seen as obscene luxuries in a game swelled by money, but for Nicky Weaver it saved his career from certain despair.
One season into a five-year deal at City, the goalkeeper suffered the first in a series of serious knee injuries that culminated in him needing cartilage from a dead man to hold together a joint that had failed to respond to four previous operations.
Without the cushion of time to heal properly – which ended up taking the best part of three long years and five trips to see specialists in America – the 34-year-old firmly believes he wouldn’t be in the privileged position he is today.
Not many would label being out of contract and on the lookout for new employers, enviable and following his release from Championship Sheffield Wednesday Weaver could be forgiven for worrying about his future.
That hellish injury-hit time has relaxed him, however. When Weaver talks about being close to leaving the game, he really means it.
“At one point I was having to inform my insurers regularly about my progress because it looked like I was going to retire and make a claim,” Weaver told M.E.N. Sport.
“That’s how close I got. A lot of players say they nearly packed in but I don’t think I could’ve got any closer.
“I played one game in three years and had five operations over a period of 18 months.
“I was lucky that I was at a club like City that could afford to send me over to America.
“I had four years left on my contract. If I hadn’t have had those years left I don’t know what would’ve happened.
“I played 14 games on loan at Wednesday, came back to City where they offered me another year.
“Then I played 31 games in the 2006-07 season – that was probably my biggest achievement in football.
“People thought I’d fallen off the face of the earth because they hadn’t heard of me for so many years.”
Weaver did stay in the mind of supporters at Eastlands, though, and will forever remain synonymous with the club’s resurgence during the late 1990s.
In his first full year as a professional, Weaver thwarted two Gillingham penalty takers in the Division Two play-off shoot-out to clinch promotion.
The crazy Wembley sprint that ensued, hurdling advertising hoardings, sticks in the memory as much as Paul Dickov’s dramatic injury-time equaliser an hour beforehand.
“That was the start of the club’s revival. My shirt is hung halfway up the stairs at my mum and dad’s house. It’s still got mud on it!” Weaver laughed.
“I don’t know why I went on a stupid run. I asked the linesman ‘if I save this one is that it?’ and he went ‘yeah, it’s over’. Then I saved it and didn’t know what to do.
“I waved the lads over and then thought I’d go on a little run and ended up going halfway around Wembley. It was only Andy Morrison who managed to drag me down.
“There was a big pile-on and that was probably the defining moment in my career.
“You don’t fully appreciate it. The first season finished at Wembley and the second year ended by beating Blackburn with successive promotions and we’re in the Premier League. I thought it was all so easy.
“After the second promotion we went to the Midland Hotel for a reception. I was sat down with Ian Bishop who was telling me to make the most of it because this won’t last forever. I was looking at him thinking he didn’t know what he was talking about.
“I was only 21, but suddenly now I find myself being that player talking to the young lads and they look at me like how I looked at Bish that day.”
Weaver, who revealed he ‘doesn’t fancy’ coaching when he retires, talks about reminiscing in the twilight of his career, but wants to continue to play for as long as possible.
He has been linked with a move to join up with Dickov at Doncaster Rovers but isn’t ruling out anything – even going abroad.
“Thirty-four isn’t old for a goalkeeper when you look at people like Mark Schwarzer and David James. I had the privilege of playing with David Seaman and Peter Schmeichel who were both 40 at City.
“I obviously want to be a No 1, but you don’t know what opportunities can arise. If a club has a good young goalkeeper then you can help out. Tommy Wright was back-up to me at City and there was no bitterness – he was great. He played a very important part in my development and we’d spend hours talking about stuff.
“I had a chance to go to New York Red Bulls a few years ago but at the time it wasn’t right for me. It was a bit too early. Now, I’d think differently.”
This is the same man who, as a teenager when asked by City chairman Francis Lee what he thought he was worth, replied: ‘whatever, anything’.
“I knew City had been watching me for Mansfield’s reserves because my dad had seen Alex Stepney – the goalkeeping coach – at a couple of games,” he said.
“I’ll be honest with you – I didn’t know who Alex Stepney was at the time. Then my dad explained and I was like ‘wow – he’s an all-time great at United’.
“Before I knew it they’d put a bid in and I was off to Manchester. I was on £42.50 a week when City came in for me.
“I remember the day I actually signed. We had lunch with Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee. Again, I knew the names but they were before my time.
“My dad though – he was in his element. He’s a similar age to them and couldn’t believe it. Then we bumped into Colin Bell!
“Apart from when me and my brother were born, it was probably the best day of his life.
“It’s only when you look back now that you truly realise how amazing it was. You go into the dressing room with Nigel Clough, Uwe Rosler and Georgi Kinkladze.
“I’d been watching them on the TV a couple of months previous.”
Aware he’s lucky still to be in the game a decade on from injury oblivion, Weaver is not about to call it quits now.