Robert Elliot (born 30 April 1986) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a goalkeeper. He was most recently the head coach of
EFL League One
The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...
side
Crawley Town
Crawley Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crawley, West Sussex, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1896 as Crawley Foo ...
. Elliot also played for the
Republic of Ireland national team.
Elliot began his career with
Erith Town, before joining
Charlton Athletic's
academy side. Whilst at Charlton, he was sent out on loan to
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is in the London metropolitan area, London commuter belt, near the border with Essex, just west of the ...
and
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football, football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of Football in England, English football, following promotion and relegation, promotion ...
, and also spent two loan spells at
Accrington Stanley, where he was nicknamed "The Dilsh". He would then go on to be Charlton's first choice goalkeeper for a number of seasons, until he joined
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2011. Signed mainly as a back-up to
Tim Krul, he featured for the club sporadically, but became first choice in the
2015–16 season after Krul suffered a season-ending injury.
Through the origins of his father's family, Elliot became eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland national football team, and was first called up in 2013, making his debut the following year. Elliot retired from the first team in 2017.
In June 2020 Elliot was released by Newcastle United after nine years. In January 2021, Elliot signed for Watford until the end of the 2020–21 season.
In June 2021, Elliot signed a new 2-year contract with Watford.
Club career
Charlton Athletic
Born in
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
, London, Elliot began his career with
non-League side
Erith Town before moving to
Charlton Athletic, the team he had supported as a child, when he was 17. After becoming a professional player with the Addicks in 2004, he was sent out on loan twice during the
2004–05 season; first to
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is in the London metropolitan area, London commuter belt, near the border with Essex, just west of the ...
and then
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football, football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of Football in England, English football, following promotion and relegation, promotion ...
, where he made his
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
debut.
The
following season, Elliot spent most of the season on loan at the
Conference National
The National League, officially known as Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in England. The National League is the first division of the National League (English football), National Le ...
club
Accrington Stanley, replacing fellow Charlton goalkeeper
Darren Randolph who had been on loan at Stanley earlier in the year. He was part of the Accrington Stanley team which won promotion to the Football League as runaway champions, saving a vital
penalty from
Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...
's
Justin Richards in the match which guaranteed them promotion. He joined Stanley again on loan during the
2006–07 season, but failed to displace
Ian Dunbavin as the club's first choice goalkeeper. He was voted the best keeper of the past decade for Accrington Stanley in 2010 by numerous key figures for the club, including manager
John Coleman.
Back at Charlton, Elliot was considered to be behind
Nicky Weaver and Darren Randolph for most of the
2007–08 season. After Randolph moved to
Bury on loan Elliot was promoted to second choice. He made an unexpected debut for Charlton on 5 April 2008 after Weaver had been sent off in a match against
Plymouth Argyle. He made his first start for Charlton in a
League Cup defeat to
Yeovil Town in August 2008. During the
2008–09 season, he displaced Weaver and established himself as the club's first choice goalkeeper. A string of impressive performances contributing to a record breaking start to a season for Charlton in 2009–10 led to him signing a contract extension committing him to the club until 2012. In August 2011, Newcastle United made an offer of £100,000 which was rejected by Charlton.
Newcastle United
On 30 August 2011, Elliot signed for
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
on a five-year contract, becoming their seventh summer signing. He then stated his desire to become first choice 'keeper. He made his Newcastle debut on 20 September against
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
in the
Football League Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
.
At the start of the
2012–13 season, Elliot changed his squad number from 35 to 21, which was previously worn by
Fraser Forster
Fraser Gerard Forster (born 17 March 1988) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur. He will becom ...
. He made his second Newcastle appearance in the
Europa League on 20 September against
Marítimo. His third Newcastle appearance, and second of the season, came in a third round
League Cup tie away at
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
. On 24 February 2013, and following an injury to
Tim Krul, Elliot made his first Premier League appearance for the Magpies, starting against Southampton in a 4–2 victory. During the match, after conceding a goal in the third minute, he then assisted a
Papiss Cissé wonder goal in the first half. On 12 May, Elliot was sent off against
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
, following a second yellow card.
Elliot started the
2015–16 season as third choice 'keeper behind Krul and
Karl Darlow. However, with Krul suffering a season-ending injury and Darlow still recovering from an ankle knock, Elliot was handed his first appearance of the season on 18 October at home to
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
, helping Newcastle to a 6–2 win, their first win of the campaign. Before the game, it was revealed that Elliot had signed a 'new, long-term contract' back in January 2014. Elliot continued his run in the team, keeping successive clean sheets against
Stoke City and
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...
, the latter performance earning him the man-of-the-match award in a 1–0 win. This was the first time Newcastle had kept two clean sheets in a row in two years and their first away win in ten months.
On 29 March 2016, whilst on international duty, Elliot sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and was ruled out of action for six months, ending his hopes of a place on the Republic of Ireland squad for
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's association football, football ch ...
.
On 7 September 2016 he extended his contract with the ''Magpies'' until 2020. Elliot returned to the Newcastle squad in December, but by then, Darlow had usurped him as the first choice 'keeper. For the next two months, he was not involved in the first team, but did make two appearances for the
reserves. From February 2017 onwards, Elliot would be on the bench until 24 April, when Darlow himself was benched due to squad rotation. Elliot's first appearance of the season came in a 4–1 win over
Preston North End. On 28 April, he was named captain against
Cardiff City, keeping a clean sheet as Newcastle won 2–0. On 7 May, he again kept a clean sheet, as Newcastle beat
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
3–0, edging out
Brighton & Hove Albion by a point to win the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
.
On 11 August 2017, Elliot's shirt number was changed from 21 to 1 in the 2017–18 squad number announcement, replacing
Tim Krul, who had been linked with a permanent move to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Elliot never made an appearance in the 2018–19 season, having lost his place in the side to
Martin Dúbravka.
Watford
On 28 January 2021, Elliot signed for Watford on a contract until the end of the 2020–21 season.
In June 2021, Elliot signed a new two-year contract with Watford.
Elliot made his debut for Watford in a League Cup tie against Stoke City on 21 September 2021, his first competitive game since 2017. On 28 June 2022, Elliot was released on a free transfer following Watford's relegation to the Championship at the end of the
2021–22 season having only made one competitive appearance for the club.
Gateshead
On 11 August 2022, Elliot joined
Gateshead
Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...
as Technical Director. He was also registered as a first-team player.
International career
Elliot, who was born in England, is eligible for the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
through his father's family from
Cork, and represented Ireland at
under-19 level. On 5 October 2013, he received his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad as a replacement for the injured
Darren Randolph for the games against
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
. Elliot won his first international senior cap for the Republic of Ireland on 25 May 2014, in a 2–1 home loss to
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. He pulled out of the Republic of Ireland senior squad in November 2017, citing family reasons.
Managerial career
Gateshead
Following the departure of manager
Mike Williamson to
Milton Keynes Dons, Elliot was appointed caretaker manager of Gateshead in October 2023. After leading Gateshead to a 6th place finish in the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
, Gateshead were barred from competing in the play-offs after failing to secure a "10-year security of tenure" of their
stadium
A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
. He also led Gateshead to the
2024 FA Trophy final, defeating
Solihull Moors on penalties to lift the trophy for the first time in the club's history.
On 20 June 2024, Elliot was appointed Gateshead manager on a permanent basis. Following an unbeaten start to the season, he was named National League Manager of the Month for August 2024.
Crawley Town
On 1 October 2024, Elliot was named as manager of
Crawley Town
Crawley Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crawley, West Sussex, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1896 as Crawley Foo ...
on a two-and-a-half-year contract. However, after a disastrous spell which left the club 12 points adrift of safety, he was sacked by the club on 19 March 2025.
Career statistics
Club
International
Managerial statistics
Honours

Accrington Stanley
*
Conference National
The National League, officially known as Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in England. The National League is the first division of the National League (English football), National Le ...
:
2005–06
Individual
*
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
Player of the Year:
2015–16
As a manager
Gateshead
*
FA Trophy:
2023–24
Individual
*
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
Manager of the Month: August 2024
See also
*
List of Republic of Ireland international footballers born outside the Republic of Ireland
References
External links
Profile at the Newcastle United F.C. website
Rob Elliot profileat the Football Association of Ireland website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elliot, Robert
1986 births
Living people
Footballers from the Royal Borough of Greenwich
People from Greenwich
English men's footballers
Republic of Ireland men's association footballers
Republic of Ireland men's youth international footballers
Republic of Ireland men's international footballers
Men's association football goalkeepers
Erith Town F.C. players
Charlton Athletic F.C. players
Bishop's Stortford F.C. players
Notts County F.C. players
Accrington Stanley F.C. players
Newcastle United F.C. players
Watford F.C. players
Gateshead F.C. players
English Football League players
National League (English football) players
Premier League players
English football managers
Gateshead F.C. managers
Crawley Town F.C. managers
National League (English football) managers
English Football League managers
21st-century English sportsmen
21st-century Irish sportsmen