Nick Hammond
Nicholas David Hammond (born 7 September 1967 in Hornchurch, England) is an English former football goalkeeper. Playing career. Hammond was an Arsenal apprentice, making his league début whilst on loan at Bristol Rovers in 1986, followed by further loan spells at Peterborough United and Aberdeen. Hammond joined Swindon Town 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 campaign, rather than the unlucky number 13. He was one of four goalkeepers used by Swindon throughout that season alongside  Fraser Digby, Jon Sheffield and Paul Heald. A short spell at Plymouth Argyle culminated in a loan to Reading 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 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. In June 2019, Scottish Premiership 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 a interim transfer consultant by Newcastle United.