Nicky Weaver

Weaver was bought by Manchester City from Mansfield Town on the recommendation of goalkeeping coach Alex Stepney. He made his competitive Manchester City debut in the first match of the 1998–99 season against Blackpool, keeping a clean sheet.[2] Over the course of the season Weaver kept a total of 26 clean sheets, breaking the club record for clean sheets in a season. Weaver was the hero for Manchester City in the 1999 Second Division Play-off final versus Gillingham after his penalty save clinched promotion, prompting him to go on a 'crazy run' around the Wembley pitch. Around this time, Weaver was tipped to receive full international honours for England by Jon McGinty after becoming an England under 21 international.[3][4]

Weaver remained first choice goalkeeper in 1999–2000, as City secured a second consecutive promotion by finishing in second place in the First Division.[5] He then tasted Premier League football for the first time in the 2000–01 season,[6] as the club was relegated in its first top flight campaign since 1996.[7] Weaver missed almost half of City's league matches in 2001–02 through injury, as the club was again promoted back to the Premier League.[7] Weaver's growing injury problems lead to Keegan signing veteran Peter Schmeichel for the 2002–03 season, with Weaver dropping to second choice.

Weaver did not start any games in the 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons.[8][9][10] However, he did play the last fifteen minutes of the 2004–05 season, when Stuart Pearce surprisingly substituted Claudio Reyna for Weaver so the regular City goalkeeper David James could play in attack against Middlesbrough.[11]

Weaver's return to fitness resulted in injury once again during the close season of 2005, ruling him out of the start of the season. In Autumn 2005 Weaver went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday, the team he had supported since childhood and for whom he had played as a schoolboy,[12][13] in an attempt to return to full fitness.

While at Wednesday, Weaver made 14 appearances, beginning with a 2–1 victory at home to Derby County and ending with a 3–0 defeat away at Leeds United.[14] He also played in the Steel City derby away at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United, where Wednesday were beaten 1–0.[14] He was the only Sheffield born player in the entire fixture.[15]

Before the 2006–07 season, Manchester City sold James to Portsmouth, bought Andreas Isaksson as a replacement and gave Isaksson the number 1 shirt. However, an injury to Isaksson meant Weaver played the first game of the season on 20 August 2006, his first senior start for the club in nearly three years and Weaver's improved form led to him starting all but one of the Manchester City games in the rest of 2006.[16]

On 4 July 2007, out-of-contract Weaver signed for Charlton Athletic on a free transfer.[17] On 5 April 2008, Weaver was sent off after three minutes for handball in a match against Plymouth Argyle.[18] The incident marked the quickest ever dismissal of a Charlton player, a record that would remain until 2018.[19][20] Following his release from Charlton, Weaver signed for Dundee United on 5 August 2009 on a short-term contract.[21] The United fans took to him instantly and – although he was pelted by snowballs by Aberdeen fans in his final home match at Tannadice as the ground staff thought it was a good idea not to clear all the snow[22] – he played in every league match before his contract expired in January 2010.

On 27 January 2010, Weaver signed an initial six-month contract with Burnley on a free transfer subject to international clearance. However, he was released on 11 May 2010 without making a single appearance.[23]

With Lee Grant's departure from Sheffield Wednesday to Burnley in the close season,[24] Weaver the ex-Owl loanee and Wednesday fan signed as a replacement after the club's transfer embargo was lifted.[25] On 4 October 2010, Weaver was awarded the Handley Brown player of the month for September after a number of impressive performances in an underachieving Wednesday team.[26] Weaver was awarded man of the match against Chesterfield in a Football League Trophy second round match after scoring the decisive penalty and saving three spot kicks, two of which were vital sudden death saves to keep Wednesday in the competition.

Weaver received his second successive Player of The Month award off the club for his performances in October. His consistent performances led to him signing a new two-and-a-half-year deal on 14 February 2011, which due to an oversight by the press office was not announced until 4 April. Weaver fell out of favour at Sheffield Wednesday following the signing of Chris Kirkland, with Kirkland inheriting Weaver's no.1 shirt. After failing to appear in any matchday squad since Kirkland's arrival, he was released at the end of the season.

On 15 July 2013, Weaver signed for Aberdeen on a six-month contract.[27][28] This was extended for a further six months in January 2014.[29]