Ian Woan

Lore & Background

Born in Heswall, Cheshire, Woan started his career in 1985 at Everton but never made a start for the then First Division club. He spent five years playing in the lower leagues, including spells at Heswall, Welsh sides Caernarfon Town and Newtown, and Runcorn. His big break came, aged 22, when on 14 March 1990 he joined first division side Nottingham Forest for a fee of £80,000. Woan did not make an appearance for the Midlanders in the latter half of the 1989–90 season, his debut coming almost ten months after joining the club. He made his first appearance on 2 January 1991 as a substitute in a 6–2 victory over Norwich City and went on to make 12 appearances that season, scoring three league goals. He started the 1991 FA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur, and was taken off after 63 minutes for Steve Hodge. Forest went on to lose the match in extra time. On 20 April 1992, Woan scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Praised for his languid left foot, attacking flair, crossing and shooting ability, but questioned over his lack of pace, Woan established himself as one of the most prominent figures in the Forest team. Forest finished in third place in the 1994–95 season, booking a UEFA Cup place for the following year. In the fifth round of the 1995–96 FA Cup, Woan scored two long-range free-kicks to secure a 2–2 draw with Tottenham. Forest made it to the quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and UEFA Cup in 1995–96 but finished 9th in the league. In the penultimate game of the season, Forest faced Newcastle United, and Woan scored a long distance effort and the game finished 1–1. Following manager Frank Clark's departure in December 1996, Woan's Forest career began to suffer although the winger was the only player to play for the Reds in each year of the 1990s. During his ten-year spell at the club, Woan made 189 league appearances – as well as 32 substitute appearance – delivering 31 goals during his time. Upon leaving Forest in 2000, and after a short trial with Bolton Wanderers, Woan signed for Swindon Town and in the 2000/01 season, producing three goals from 25 appearances. A year later Woan found himself joining American team Columbus Crew. At the end of the season, Woan was traded to the Miami Fusion and finished his MLS career with them. In 2002, Woan returned to England and signed for struggling Shrewsbury Town. Woan

In Their Own Story

The November wind off the River Soar bit through the thin cotton of the away kit, but Woan didn't feel it. Ninety-third minute. The ball was dead in the air over the penalty box, a long, lazy clearance from the opposition keeper. Two defenders, one striker, and Woan, already running. He didn't look up. He never looked up. He timed it the way he timed every header, every tackle, every sprint back to his own goal — by feel, by stubbornness, by the simple conviction that the ball belonged to the team in the white and blue hoops. It dropped to his chest. He controlled it. The crowd at Filbert Street, three thousand strong on a grey Saturday, roared as if the title were already theirs. It wasn't. But for that one moment, it was.

Reader's Guide

Following retirement, Woan returned to Swindon Town as a youth team coach before joining Rushden & Diamonds as a first team coach. He returned to Forest as a youth team coach in 2007 before joining Portsmouth, where in 2009 he took over as caretaker manager. He has since held the role of assistant manager at Watford before joining Burnley. He parted company with Burnley on 15 April 2022. On 30 January 2023, Woan was appointed assistant manager of Everton. He held this position until 9 January 2025.

Did You Know?

• Ian Woan scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on 20 April 1992.
• He scored two long-range free-kicks in the fifth round of the 1995–96 FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur.
• Woan was the only player to play for Nottingham Forest in each year of the 1990s.
• He briefly came out of retirement in 2007 with Hucknall Town but did not play in any games.