Nicholas Robert Shorey (born 19 February 1981) is an English former professional footballer who played as a left back or a defensive midfielder.

After beginning his career at Leyton Orient, Shorey moved to Reading in 2001, where he made just under 300 appearances over seven years while helping the team reach the Premier League.

Shorey has represented England at full international level on two occasions, with both appearances made at Wembley Stadium in 2007 against Brazil and Germany.

[9] Shorey did not immediately break into the Reading first team until the 2001–02 season, when he made his debut starting in the Royals' 4–0 defeat of Luton Town in the League Cup first round on 21 August 2001.

[citation needed] He had another consistent season, racking up 41 league and cup appearances and scoring twice, once against Walsall on 28 December 2003 in a 1–1 draw, and another in a 2–1 win over Sheffield United on 28 February 2004.

[13] However, following the 0–0 home draw with Stoke City on 13 March, Shorey noticed that his foot has swelled and was throbbing, and by the time he reached hospital, the situation had become serious.

[15] In the 2005–06 season, Shorey was an important figure in the Reading team that won the Championship title and promotion to the Premier League with a record of 106 points.

[citation needed] After making 44 appearances during the season, Shorey committed his future to Reading on 1 August 2006, signing a new deal to remain with the club until June 2009.

[citation needed] Shorey was nearly ever-present across the season, missing just one league match, while also scoring once during Reading's 3–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 12 November.

[27] Providing cover for the injured Wilfred Bouma,[28] Shorey made his debut in the UEFA Cup in Villa's 4–1 away win against Icelandic team FH on 14 August.

[citation needed] After an inconsistent first season with the club, making 33 appearances across four competitions,[29] a number of media reports suggested that Shorey was unsure whether or not his future lay at Villa Park,[30][31][32] despite manager Martin O'Neill claiming previously that he had plans for the former Reading defender.

[citation needed] Having travelled to Fratton Park to conclude the deal, Shorey decided against making the move, instead remaining with Villa.

[35] After struggling to hold down a first-team place at Aston Villa, Shorey made a loan move to Championship club Nottingham Forest for one month on 24 November 2009.

[34] With his loan deal expiring at the end of January, Villa manager Martin O'Neill said that he had no intention of selling Shorey during the transfer window.

[citation needed] After making 21 first-team appearances for Reading across the campaign,[47] he was one of ten players released by the club after they were relegated back to the Championship after only one season in the Premier League.

[55] He made his club debut on 11 January in Portsmouth's 0–0 draw with Oxford United, going on to make 21 league appearances until the end of the season.

[58] In September 2015, Shorey opted to join Pune City for the second season of the Indian Super League, which would run from October to December.

[67] In October 2016, having made three league appearances for Hungerford, Shorey joined Darren Sarll's coaching staff at Stevenage, with whose squad he had also been training since August.

[75] On 8 October 2018, Shorey and his former Reading team-mate Glen Little were appointed joint managers of Isthmian League Premier Division side Wingate & Finchley.