George Abbey (footballer)

George Abbey
Born	(1978-10-20) October 20, 1978 Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Occupation(s)	Footballer (retired), Fitness trainer
Years active	1999–2011
Known for	Defender for Macclesfield Town, Port Vale, Crewe Alexandra; Nigeria national team player

George Peterson Abbey (born 20 October 1978) is a retired Nigerian international football player who operated primarily as a defender.

Abbey commenced his professional journey at Sharks before relocating to England in 1999 to join Macclesfield Town. After five seasons, he transferred to Port Vale in December 2004. In the summer of 2007, Abbey signed with Crewe Alexandra, where he remained for two years. He then moved to Cyprus in 2010 to play for Akritas Chlorakas. Internationally, he was included in Nigeria's squad that finished third at the 2004 African Cup of Nations.

Club career

Born to a Nigerian father and a Welsh mother, Abbey grew up in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, alongside fellow footballer Joseph Yobo. After his time with Sharks F.C., he joined Macclesfield Town in 1999. Over five seasons, Abbey accumulated 117 appearances across league and cup competitions, scoring once, before being released by manager Brian Horton during the summer of 2004.

Despite speculation linking him to a move to the Premier League, Abbey signed with League One club Port Vale in December 2004. Throughout three seasons, he was a regular starter, making 71 appearances and scoring one goal, contributing to the club’s successful fight against relegation in the 2004–05 campaign. Manager Martin Foyle released him in May 2007.

At the end of July 2007, Abbey joined Crewe Alexandra on a two-year contract, featuring in 23 matches during his first season. However, after limited playing opportunities under new management led by Guðjón Þórðarson, he mutually agreed to terminate his contract in May 2009. He trialed with Tranmere Rovers, but financial constraints prevented a permanent signing.

In 2010, Abbey moved to Cyprus to sign for Second Division side Akritas Chlorakas, where he played the 2010–11 season before retiring and transitioning into a career as a fitness trainer.

International career

Abbey was selected for Nigeria’s squad at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations held in Tunisia. His close friendship with Everton player Joseph Yobo facilitated his inclusion and enabled him to provide Yobo guidance concerning a potential transfer to Everton. Nigeria suffered a semi-final defeat against hosts Tunisia but secured third place by defeating Mali 2–1. Abbey was not part of the squad for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, which was a source of personal disappointment.

Club statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Macclesfield Town	1999–2000	Third Division	18	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	21	0
	2000–01	Third Division	18	0	1	0	4	0	0	0	23	0
	2001–02	Third Division	17	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	19	0
	2002–03	Third Division	22	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	24	1
	2003–04	Third Division	25	0	3	0	1	0	1	0	30	0
	2004–05	League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		100	1	9	0	6	0	2	0	117	1
Port Vale	2004–05	League One	18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	0
	2005–06	League One	20	0	1	0	(1)	0	(0)	0	(22)	(0)
	2006–07	(League One)	24	(1)	2	(0)	3	(0)	2	(0)	31	(1)
	Total		62	1	3	0	4	0	2	0	71	1
Crewe Alexandra	2007–08	(League One)	23	(0)	̶	̶	̶	̶	̶	̶	23	( ̶ )
	2008–09	(League One)	7	( ̶ )						7	( ̶ )
	Total		30	0	0	0	0	0	̶	̶	30	̶
(Akritas Chlorakas)	2010–11|(Cypriot Second Division)	(8)	( ̶ )						8	( ̶ )

International appearances

Nigeria national team
Year	Appearances	Goals
2003	3	0
2004	11	0
2005	1	0
2006	2	0
2007	1	0
Total	18	0

Achievements

Nigeria

• Africa Cup of Nations bronze medal: 2004