Irving Nattrass

Irving Nattrass (born 20 December 1952) is an English former footballer who played primarily as a right back for Newcastle and Middlesbrough.

Irving Nattrass

Personal information
Date of birth	(1952-12-20) 20 December 1952
Place of birth	Fishburn, England
Position(s)	right back
Youth career
	Newcastle United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1970–1979	Newcastle United	238	(16)
1979–1986	Middlesbrough	191	(2)
Total		429	(18)
International career
1976	England U23	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Born in Fishburn, England, Nattrass attended Ferryhill Grammar School and signed with Newcastle at age 16 on an apprenticeship.

As a youth player Nattrass lacked confidence and made slow progress within the club, even going so far as to look for employment elsewhere as a mechanic. However, he soon found his stride and went on to sign professionally for the club in July 1970, aged 17. A year later Nattrass went on to make his debut against Derby.

The then Newcastle manager Joe Harvey once commented "Nattrass is my Paul Madeley and I can't pay him a bigger compliment than that". Madeley was a Leeds and England player who was dubbed the "Rolls-Royce" of footballers.

Hampered by injuries and disagreements with the Newcastle board he eventually moved to Middlesbrough for the sum of £375,000. Nattrass made his league debut for them against Arsenal on 15 September 1979.

Honours

Individual

• Newcastle United Player of the Year: 1977–78

External links

• Sporting Heroes Irving Nattrass record and photo
• Evening Chronicle Interview with Irving Nattrass
• Toonarama Irving Nattrass Biography
• Image