Nicky Maynard

Nicky Maynard

Personal information
Full name	Nicholas David Maynard
Date of birth	11 December 1986 (1986-12-11) (age 24)
Place of birth	Winsford, England
Height	5 ft 11.5 in (1.82 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Bristol City
Number	10
Youth career
199?–1994	Arsenal
1994–2005	Crewe Alexandra
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2008	Crewe Alexandra	59	(32)
2005–2006	→ Witton Albion (loan)	7	(1)
2008–	Bristol City	114	(43)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:46, 20 November 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Nicholas David "Nicky" Maynard (born 11 December 1986 in Winsford, Cheshire) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bristol City.

Career

Crewe Alexandra

Before joining Crewe Alexandra, he played for the Arsenal youths at the age of 7 before being released. Maynard began his footballing career as a youth trainee at Crewe Alexandra's academy, famous for producing players such as David Platt, Neil Lennon, Danny Murphy, Rob Hulse and Dean Ashton, at the age of seven.^[1] Since then, he has represented Crewe at every age group level and scored 27 goals in one season at Under–18s level.^[1] As a reward for his form in the youth team, Maynard was offered his first professional contract of his career in the summer of 2005.^[2]

During the 2005–06 season, Maynard was loaned out to Witton Albion in January 2006, Maynard made a big impression at the non-league side, helping them to their most successful run of the season in the Northern Premier League. After returning to Crewe, Maynard continued to show fine form in the reserves side; by the end of the season, young Maynard made his Crewe début as a substitute for Michael Higdon in a 4–2 win over Millwall at the end of the 2005–06 season. He scored with his first touch in professional football, in front of Scouts representing 20 different clubs,^[3] after Michael O'Connor's shot hit the post. Eddie Johnson; Luke Varney and Steve Jones scored the other three goals for Crewe.

It seemed likely that Maynard would get his full début for Crewe during the 2006–07 season, with players such as Steve Jones leaving relegated Crewe for Championship side Burnley.^[4] However, some of Crewe's new signings, such as Ryan Lowe and the return of former player Rodney Jack, gave Maynard a bit of competition for a place in the first eleven. Maynard performed very well in his second year of professional football, forming a partnership with Varney where the two proved to be one of the most productive partnerships, in terms of goal scoring, in League One with a total of 33 league goals between them. During his first full season, the Englishman also picked up the "Player of the Month" award for September.^[5]

With Luke Varney gone after a £2 million transfer to Charlton Athletic, Maynard was seen as the club's main goalscoring threat. His second full season at the club, however, was brought to a stand still for four months after he suffered a bone fracture of his fibula and also damaged his ankle ligaments during the club's season opener against Brighton and Hove Albion.^[6] In an interview with FourFourTwo magazine, Maynard admitted that he had "broke down a few times" during his four months of rehabilitation,^[7] although he would later recover and return to fitness and soon featured as a non-used substitute in an away match against Nottingham Forest before playing the second 45 minutes of the FA cup tie versus Oldham Athletic on December.

The striker struggled to score a goal during his initial months back in the first team, with only two goals scored in his first two months back from injury. It wasn't until the following months of February and March that the young striker got back into form and soon showed his potential by scoring in seven consecutive games including a hat-trick at senior level, his first for the club, against relegation rivals Cheltenham Town, "I've scored a couple of doubles before" he said in an interview in 2008, "so I thought it was a long time coming. I got all the lads to sign the match ball for me."^[8] Crewe managed to avoid relegation for the second time in three seasons at the expense of Bournemouth, despite losing 4–1 to Oldham on the last day of the season.

Bristol City

On 30 July 2008, Crewe Alexandra reportedly accepted a bid in excess of £2,000,000 from Bristol City. However, the following day Crewe reported that no bid had been accepted and only negotiations between themselves and Bristol City are taking place.^[9]

On 31 July Maynard signed a 4 year contract for Bristol City for a fee of £2,250,000, becoming their record signing. He played his first game for his new club on 1 August against Royal Antwerp at Ashton Gate, where he scored two goals in the first half before completing his hat-trick early in the second half. However, the first half of his season at City was difficult and despite scoring 3 games into his Bristol City career, against Derby County he failed to hold down a regular first team place, often appearing as a substitute. However, just before Christmas he started scoring with goals against the likes of Watford (twice) and Wolverhampton Wanderers to put Bristol City into a good run of form in which they went unbeaten in eight, before being beaten 1–0 by Doncaster Rovers.

Maynard made an explosive start to his second full campaign with the Rovers, scoring six times in his first seven games. He helped his side to three consecutive 1–0 victories, against Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers and away at Brentford in the Football League Cup. He also scored twice in a game to defeat Middlesbrough. Maynard's sixth goal of the season came on 12 September away at Coventry City, when he scored undoubtedly his best strike thus far for the club.^{[citation needed]} After the ball was chested down by new signing and strike partner Álvaro Saborío, Maynard struck an unstoppable 25-yard half-volley in off the crossbar past Coventry keeper Kieran Westwood to cancel out Leon Best's opener and give his side a share of the spoils at the Ricoh Arena. However, Maynard eclipsed this goal on Boxing day against QPR at Loftus Road; facing away from goal just outside the box, he collected a bouncing ball in the air, with one kick to control it and another to turn two defenders, and then smashed a stunning volley into the top corner past an unmoved Radek Cerny, all without the ball hitting the floor. The goal was voted the 'Football League goal of 2009', out of five selected goals from 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Following a pre-season knee injury, his first appearance in the 2010–11 season was as a substitute in the game against Leeds United on 12 February 2011. He went on to start the next three games, scoring in each of them as City went on a winning run to pull themselves away from the relegation zone. On April 23, 2011 Maynard received the first red card of his career in a 3–2 defeat at Sheffield United. Maynard had a penalty saved by Andy Lonergan against Leeds United on 17 September which helped Leeds earn a 2-1 victory.^[10]

Career stats

All-Time Club Performance

Club	Season	Domestic League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other[11]		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Bristol City	11–12	17	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	6
	10–11	13	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	6
	09-10	42	20	2	0	1	1	0	0	45	21
	08-09	42	11	1	0	2	0	0	0	45	11
Club Total		114	43	3	0	3	1	0	0	120	44
Crewe Alexandra	07-08	27	15	1	0	0	0	0	0	28	15
	06-07	31	16	0	0	3	2	4	1	38	19
	05-06	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Club Total		59	32	1	0	3	2	4	1	67	35
Career Totals	05-Present	159	72	4	0	6	3	4	1	173	76

^{Statistics correct as of matches played 18 August 2011}

References

Publications

• "The Lad's a Bit Special...Nicky Maynard, Crewe". FourFourTwo Magazine (Haymarket Group) 167: 43. June 2008. 

Internet

• "Nicky Maynard player profile". Official Bristol City Website. http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10327~33461,00.html. Retrieved 19 January 2010. 

Citations

1. ^ ^{a b} FourFourTwo, 167: "I've been playing for the academy since I was seven; I've been top scorer at every age group. I scored 27 goals in one season at U18 level."
2. ^ Crewe Alexandra profile, Paragraph 4.
3. ^ They're watching us.... Crewealex.PremiumTV.co.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2006
4. ^ Burnley land Crewe striker Jones news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2006
5. ^ Maynard receives League One award news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2006
6. ^ "Crewe vs Brighton". Official Crewe Alexandra Website. 11 August 2007. http://www.crewealex.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10414~37446,00.html. Retrieved 6 June 2008. 
7. ^ FourFourTwo, 167: "I broke down a few times during my rehap, but managed to get back"
8. ^ FourFourTwo, 167: "I've scored a couple of doubles before, so I thought it was a long time coming. I got all the lads to sign the match ball for me."
9. ^ "Premier League Transfer Talk". Daily Telegraph (UK Official Website). 7 May 2008. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/football/transfers/sfntra102a.xml. Retrieved 7 May 2008. 
10. ^ "Leeds Vs Bristol City". LUFC. 17 Sept 2011. http://www.leedsunited.com/news/20110917/bristol-city-live_2247585_2453860. 
11. ^ Includes Football League Trophy

External links

• Nicky Maynard career stats at Soccerbase
• Bristol City profile
• Nicky Maynard on Twitter

Persondata
Name	Maynard, Nicky
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	11 December 1986
Place of birth	Winsford, England
Date of death
Place of death