Nicholas David Hammond (born 7 September 1967 in

Hornchurch Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed ...

, England) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

former football

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting ...

Playing career

Hammond was an

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

apprentice, making his league début whilst on loan at

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...

in 1986, followed by further loan spells at

Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standin ...

and

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), ...

. Hammond joined

Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at the County Ground sin ...

on a free transfer in July 1987, and while there he twice broke his leg which resulted in him taking the number 23 shirt for the 1993–94

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

campaign, rather than the unlucky number 13. He was one of four goalkeepers used by Swindon throughout that season alongside

Fraser Digby Fraser Charles Digby (born 23 January 1967) is an English football coach and former player who played as a goalkeeper. He spent much of his career with Swindon Town, for whom he played in the Premier League. In 2008, he found new fame through ...

, Jon Sheffield and

Paul Heald Paul Heald (born 20 September 1968 in Wath-on-Dearne) is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Milton Keynes Dons, Wimbledon, Leyton Orient and Sheffield United. He also had loan spells with Coventry City, Cryst ...

. A short spell at

Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park ...

culminated in a loan to

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

in December 1995, with the move being made permanent for £40,000 a month later. A highly regarded goalkeeping coach, Hammond was handed a coaching role by

Alan Pardew Alan Scott Pardew (born 18 July 1961) is an English football manager and former professional footballer, who is the current manager of Greek Super League club Aris. Pardew's highest achievements in the sport include reaching the FA Cup Final t ...

and he subsequently retired from playing after suffering a recurrent back injury.

Coaching career

In October 2000, Hammond took over from John Stephenson to become Reading's Youth Academy Director, and was appointed the Club's first-ever Director of Football in September 2003. In April 2016, Hammond ended his 20-year association with Reading to become Technical Director at

West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional Association football, football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English foo ...

. In June 2019,

Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottis ...

club Celtic appointed Hammond to a recruitment consultancy role. Celtic then named him as their head of football operations in October 2019. In December 2021, Hammond was appointed as an interim transfer consultant by

Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional Association football, football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football league system, English football. The club was ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hammond, Nick Living people 1967 births Footballers from Hornchurch Association football goalkeepers English footballers Arsenal F.C. players Bristol Rovers F.C. players Peterborough United F.C. players Swindon Town F.C. players Plymouth Argyle F.C. players Reading F.C. players Premier League players English Football League players Reading F.C. non-playing staff West Bromwich Albion F.C. non-playing staff Celtic F.C. non-playing staff Newcastle United F.C. non-playing staff