| Will Nightingale | |
| Fullname: | William John Robert Nightingale[1] |
| Birth Date: | 2 August 1995[2] |
| Birth Place: | Wandsworth, England |
| Height: | 1.85m (06.07feet)[3] |
| Position: | Defender |
| Currentclub: | Ross County (on loan from AFC Wimbledon) |
| Clubnumber: | 35 |
| Youthyears1: | 2004–2014 |
| Youthclubs1: | AFC Wimbledon |
| Years1: | 2014– |
| Clubs1: | AFC Wimbledon |
| Caps1: | 175 |
| Goals1: | 7 |
| Years2: | 2023– |
| Clubs2: | → Ross County (loan) |
| Caps2: | 23 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 12:00, 12 August 2024 |
William John Robert Nightingale (born 2 August 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or right-back for side Ross County, on loan from club AFC Wimbledon.
Nightingale was born in Wandsworth, Greater London. He joined the AFC Wimbledon Academy at the age of nine, progressing through the ranks before making the step up to the first team at the age of 18.[4] His first association with the first team came as an unused substitute in a 2–0 home loss to Torquay United on 11 January 2014.[5] Nightingale was offered his first professional contract with AFC Wimbledon in May 2014.[6]
Nightingale made his first-team debut on 17 January 2015 at the age of 19, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute in a 3–1 home defeat to Carlisle United. He was rewarded by being named in the starting line-up for the following match, a 2–1 home win against Accrington Stanley on 24 January 2015. He was named as the man of the match and was commended by manager Neal Ardley for his performance.[7] He scored his first career goal on 7 April 2018 with a fourth-minute header in a 1–1 draw against Scunthorpe United.[8] [9]
He was named the club's Player of the Season for the 2018–19 campaign,[10] which saw Wimbledon achieve survival despite being ten points adrift of safety in February.[11] On 22 May 2019, he signed a new contract with AFC Wimbledon of an undisclosed length.[12]
On 14 August 2021 during a 3–3 draw against Bolton Wanderers, Nightingale scored the first Wimbledon goal in front of fans at the newly built Plough Lane stadium.[13]
Nightingale moved on loan to Scottish Premiership club Ross County in July 2023.[14] In June 2024, Ross County announced a season-long loan extension for Nightingale, ensuring he stayed at the club for a second consecutive season.[15]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| AFC Wimbledon | 2014–15 | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | League One | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | League One | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | League One | 39 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | League One | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | League One | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 38 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | League One | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | League Two | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 1 | ||
| Total | 175 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 204 | 8 | |||
| Ross County (loan) | 2023–24 | Scottish Premiership | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| 2024-25[16] | Scottish Premiership | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 198 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 234 | 8 | |||
AFC Wimbledon
Individual