Nigel Martyn

Early career

Martyn started his career as a midfielder until invited to play as a goalkeeper for his brother's works team when he was 17. He started by playing amateur football for Cornish sides Heavy Transport FC, Bugle and St Blazey while working in a plastics factory and for a coal merchant, before beginning his professional career with Bristol Rovers in 1987 after apparently having been "spotted" by Rovers' tea lady Vi Harris, whilst she was on holiday.

Crystal Palace

Martyn was transferred to Crystal Palace for a fee of £1 million in 1989, becoming the first goalkeeper to attract a million-pound transfer fee in English football. He remained at Palace for seven seasons, appearing 349 times for his club, including the 1990 FA Cup Final, where Palace were beaten by Manchester United in a replay, and the 1991 Full Members' Cup final, where Palace beat Everton. In 1996, he signed with Leeds United, setting another record fee for a goalkeeper of £2.25 million. In 2005, Palace supporters voted Martyn into their Centenary XI.

Leeds United

Martyn was signed by boss Howard Wilkinson in the summer of 1996–97, along with another high-profile capture in the form of Lee Bowyer. Martyn's form for United, both at home and on the continent in European competition was skillful – most notably in a man-of-the-match display at the Stadio Olimpico against Roma in the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup campaign, when Leeds reached the semi-finals. Martyn was also a large part of…

Martyn spent time as goalkeeping coach at Bradford City, a role he started in March 2007 as a favour for former Leeds United teammate David Wetherall, who was then caretaker manager at Bradford.

Martyn made his debut for the England national side against the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow in 1992, becoming one of the few Cornishmen to play for England. He earned 23 caps for his national side, spending the peak of his career as second-choice goalkeeper behind David Seaman. Martyn replaced the injured Seaman for England's final UEFA Euro 2000 group match against Romania, a 3–2 defeat. In Sven-Göran Eriksson's first game in charge of England against Spain in February 2001, Martyn came on as a substitute for David James and saved a Javi Moreno penalty in a 3–0 win. He also started in goal for a 2–2 draw with Greece at Old Trafford that qualified England for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Martyn was selected for the England squad at both the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups, remaining second choice behind Arsenal's David Seaman at both tournaments.

Martyn grew up supporting Plymouth Argyle. While still in Cornwall he was also a cricketer, and played with Cornwall Schoolboys as a wicket-keeper, as well as Fowey Cricket Club. Since his retirement from professional football, he has returned to cricket, playing regularly for a Leeds team called Leeds Modernians in the Airedale & Wharfedale Senior Cricket League. As a player for Knaresborough C.C., alongside another former England goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, he won promotion to the Yorkshire Premier League North, in 2024. In 2026 he was selected for England’s over-60s cricket team . His son Thomas is an opera singer.