Nicky Eaden

Eaden was born in Sheffield, and began his playing career with Barnsley as a youngster. He was initially not taken on when he left school in 1989, but was given a deal later that year, and turned professional in 1991. Manager Mel Machin was critical of the player, and listed him among the players to be released at the end of the 1992–93 season. However, he gave Eaden his club and Football League debut as a substitute away to Brentford on 1 May. Four days later, Machin pre-empted the board's rumoured intention of sacking him by resigning. Eaden started the last match of the season, and the decision to release him was reversed on the recommendation of coach Eric Winstanley. Under the management of Viv Anderson and Danny Wilson, Eaden became a regular in the side and contributed to their promotion to the Premiership, but after Barnsley would not meet his wage demands when his contract was due to expire in 2000, he left. A proposed move to Bolton Wanderers in late 1999 did not materialise, and Eaden joined First Division club Birmingham City in July 2000 on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling. While at Birmingham he played in the 2001 Football League Cup Final and made 29 league appearances in the 2001–02 season as Birmingham were promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs. Eaden also had a successful spell with Wigan Athletic, winning promotion from the Second Division and then into the Premier League. He joined Nottingham Forest in 2005. Despite being successful with…

Eaden, initially a player-coach at Kettering, became assistant to manager Mark Cooper after the 2008–09 season. In November 2009, Cooper was appointed manager of Championship club Peterborough United, and Eaden accompanied him, again as assistant manager. A year later, he left the club by mutual consent. On 22 March 2011, Eaden joined the coaching staff of Rotherham United on a contract until the end of the season, working under his one-time Barnsley teammate Andy Liddell. After Liddell lost out to Andy Scott for the full-time manager's role at the club, Eaden departed at the end of his contract, but was quickly back in work agreeing a two-year contract to become assistant manager to Marcus Law at Tamworth. However, just a week later Eaden announced he had "had a change of heart" and would not be taking up the post, instead taking up the same role at Kettering Town. During the 2012–13 season, Eaden worked alongside Steve Beaglehole for Leicester City under-21s as a coach, and was named on the bench for a game against Huddersfield Town as one of three over-aged players. He left in 2016 to join Rotherham United as assistant manager to Neil Redfearn, and signed a contract until the end of the 2017–18 season. Five days later, Redfearn was dismissed, and Eaden took on the role of caretaker manager. Before their next match, Rotherham appointed Neil Warnock as manager; Eaden was kept on the staff as first-team coach, but had little input to the first team. After Alan Stubbs'…

Barnsley

Football League First Division second-place promotion: 1996–97 Birmingham City

Football League Cup runner-up: 2000–01 Wigan Athletic

Football League Championship second-place promotion: 2004–05 Football League Second Division: 2002–03 Kettering Town

Conference North: 2007–08 Individual

PFA Team of the Year: 1996–97 First Division, 2002–03 Second Division