- Lewin Nyatanga
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Lewin Nyatanga 
Personal information Full name Lewin John Nyatanga Date of birth 18 August 1988 Place of birth Burton upon Trent, England Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Playing position Defender Club information Current club Bristol City Number 5 Youth career ?–2005 Derby County Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2005–2009 Derby County 63 (4) 2006–2007 → Sunderland (loan) 11 (0) 2007 → Barnsley (loan) 10 (1) 2007–2008 → Barnsley (loan) 25 (0) 2008 → Barnsley (loan) 16 (1) 2009– Bristol City 73 (2) 2010 → Peterborough United (loan) 3 (0) National team‡ 2003–2005 Wales U17 8 (0) 2005– Wales U21 9 (0) 2006– Wales 34 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:30, 6 November 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:50, 3 March 2010 (UTC)Lewin John Nyatanga (born 18 August 1988) is a Welsh footballer who plays for Bristol City and the Wales national team as a defender.
Contents
Club career
Derby County
Nyatanga developed as a player through Derby's academy, signing professional terms for the club in August 2005[1] and making his senior debut in a League Cup tie against Grimsby Town, going on to feature in over half of Derby's league games during the 2005–06 season, primarily at centreback,[2] scoring his first goal a 2–1 win over Stoke City.
Despite starting the 2006–07 season in the first team picture, Nyatanga lost his place in the first team and was loaned out to fellow Championship side Sunderland for four months in October 2006. Whilst at Sunderland, Nyatanga played left back due to an injury to Stephen Wright and Clive Clarke leaving on loan. Sunderland boss Roy Keane was reportedly interested in signing Nyatanga in a £1.5m move in January 2007. Derby manager Billy Davies said there was a possibility that Nyatanga could join Sunderland permanently,[3] however, no bid was ever tabled by Sunderland.
Nyatanaga returned to Derby in January 2007, only to join Barnsley a month later on a three month loan deal.[4] Nyantanga helped the club to some vital wins during his time at Barnsley, including a surprise 1–0 win over promotion hopefuls Birmingham City and a vital 3–1 win away over relegation rivals Southend United. Nyantanga was recalled to Derby on 16 April after injury and suspension, respectively, to two key defenders in Michael Johnson and Darren Moore, left Derby with only one natural centre half.[5] In his first game after returning to Derby he scored the winner against Luton Town on 20 April which sent Derby back into the automatic promotion places and relegated Luton. Nyatanga lost his place when Moore and Johnson returned, and was not in the 16 for the 2007 Playoff victory.
Nyatanga signed a new 4-year contract in the summer of 2007,[6] and returned to Barnsley on a six-month loan shortly after.[7] He formed an impressive partnership with Dennis Souza at the heart of Barnsley's defence, but was recalled by Derby in January 2008.[8] On January 19, 2008, Nyatanga scored on his Premier League debut at Portsmouth in the 5th minute,[9] which gave Derby a 1–0 lead, though Derby went on to lose the game 3–1 after a Benjani hat-trick.[10] That was to be his only Premier League game of the season and his first of only 3 appearances for Derby that season, as he was sent back out on loan to Barnsley for the remainder of the 2007–8 season.[11]
Lewin playing for Bristol City
During the 2008–09 season, Nyatanga was initially out of the first team picture, behind Martin Albrechtsen and Dean Leacock. A season-ending injury to Leacock gave Nyatanga a chance to establish himself and he featured predominantly from November onwards, going on to make 30 league appearances, scoring once – the first in a 3–1 hammering of fierce local rivals Nottingham Forest.[12] He also played in the League Cup semi final 1st leg against Manchester United, a game which Derby won 1–0.
Bristol City
On 14 July 2009, Nyatanga signed for Bristol City and agreed a four-year deal.[13] He Scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw with Newcastle United on 20 March 2010.
Nyatanga was injured during pre-season 2010/11, once recovered he was sent out on loan to Peterborough United to gain some match fitness.
International career
Although born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, Nyatanga qualifies for Wales through parentage, having been born to a Zimbabwean father and Welsh mother. Nyatanga holds the records for being the youngest captain and youngest player ever to play for the Welsh Under-21s. On March 1, 2006, aged 17 years and 195 days, he made his full international debut for Wales in a friendly match against Paraguay in Cardiff, breaking Ryan Green's record as the youngest ever Welsh international.[14] Despite his inexperience, with only 17 first team appearances for Derby behind him, he played "a key role" in the goalless draw.[15][16] Wales' match against Trinidad and Tobago in May 2006 marked Nyatanga's second international appearance, and also saw his age record broken by 16 year old teammate Gareth Bale. He has mostly been a regular and was recalled to the U-21's to help them qualify for the 2009 European Championships but they narrowly lost 5–4 on aggregate to England in the play-offs. His most recent appearance for Wales came in a friendly against Sweden, where he replaced Gareth Bale midway through the second half.
Personal honours
- Derby County
- Championship Play Off Winner – 2006/07
- Young Player of the Year – 2005/2006
- Other
- Welsh Football Writer's Young Player of the Year – 2006[17]
References
- ^ "Teenager Nyatanga pens Derby deal". BBC Sport. 2008-01-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/4540462.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Bluebirds set Premiership target". BBC Sport. 2005-12-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/4165480.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Nyatanga could stay at Sunderland". BBC Sport. 2006-10-20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/6066520.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Barnsley sign defender Nyatanga". BBC Sport. 2007-02-13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/barnsley/6356983.stm. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
- ^ "Defender Nyatanga back at Derby". BBC Sport. 2007-04-16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6561147.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Nyatanga signs new deal with Rams". BBC Sport. 2007-07-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/6904571.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Nyatanga returns to Tykes on loan". BBC Sport. 2007-07-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/barnsley/6919597.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Derby to recall Nyatanga & Macken". BBC Sport. 2007-12-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/derby_county/7159115.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Portsmouth 3–1 Derby". BBC Sport. 2008-01-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7184823.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ Whyatt, Chris (2008-01-19). "Portsmouth 3–1 Derby". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7184823.stm. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ "Tykes sign Anderson and Nyatanga". BBC Sport. 2008-01-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/barnsley/7221327.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Nott'm Forest 1–3 Derby". BBC Sport. 2009-02-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7883601.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Nyatanga agrees Bristol City move". BBC Sport. 2009-07-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bristol_city/8149352.stm. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "Nyatanga called up to Wales squad". BBC Sport. 2006-02-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4709296.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Wales 0–0 Paraguay". BBC Sport. 2006-03-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4756204.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Nyatanga to build on Wales debut". BBC Sport. 2006-03-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4765696.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ Jones, Matt. "Raise Your Game – Lewin Nyatanga". BBC Wales. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/raiseyourgame/pages/lewin_nyatanga.shtml. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
External links
- Lewin Nyatanga career stats at Soccerbase
- Official Sunderland AFC Profile
- Lewin Nyatanga Profile at FootballDatabase
- Wals profile
Bristol City F.C. – current squad 1 James · 2 Spence · 3 McAllister · 4 Fontaine · 5 Nyatanga · 6 Louis Carey · 7 Elliott · 8 Kilkenny · 9 Stead · 10 Maynard · 11 Woolford · 12 Taylor · 14 Skuse · 15 Reid · 16 Clarkson · 17 Bolasie · 18 Wilson · 19 Ribeiro · 20 Campbell-Ryce · 21 Cissé · 22 Gerken · 23 Edwards · 24 Jackson · 25 Ball · 26 Lennox · 27 Adomah · 28 Hunt · 29 Holloway · 30 Muggeridge · 31 Bryan · 34 Pitman · 35 Stewart · 36 McGivern · 37 Pearson · Manager: McInnes
Categories:- 1988 births
- Living people
- People from Burton upon Trent
- Welsh footballers
- Wales international footballers
- Wales under-21 international footballers
- Association football central defenders
- Derby County F.C. players
- Sunderland A.F.C. players
- Barnsley F.C. players
- Bristol City F.C. players
- Peterborough United F.C. players
- The Football League players
- Premier League players
- British people of Zimbabwean descent
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