Tim Nilsen hits back at 'fat' jibes and explains sudden Derry City exit

The frontman was branded ‘fat’ on social media when an unflattering picture appeared of the player returning to training after three months in lockdown, while other internet critics suggested he was overweight and that an apparent lack of professionalism was behind his sudden exit from Brandywell.

Initially Nilsen, who failed to get off the mark in a competitive game for the Candy Stripes during the opening four league fixtures, claimed he left the club due to ‘personal reasons’.

However, having secured a new club when joining Norwegian third division outfit, Lysekloster last week, the striker wanted to set the record straight.

He claims to have a longstanding issue with protruding ribs which can give the appearance of extra weight.

In fact, he assured Derry City fans that he considered himself to be ‘one of the best trained players on the team’ and explained his condition, which he says he’s had since he was a kid, has been a problem for him throughout his professional career.

“That picture of me from the first training session after Covid-19 is wrong,” stated the striker. “I’m not fat AT ALL! I run the most and will say that I’m one of the best trained players on the team!” he claimed.

“My problem is that I sometimes look fat because of my ribs sticking out of my chest. . . something I have had since I was a kid. I know it looks bad in pictures after lockdown but I can ensure everyone that my six pack is still there and I have no extra kgs on my body.

“It actually feels good to speak out about my ribs issue because that has been a problem for me for a long time. Everybody thinks I’m fat until they see me with no shirt on,” he laughed.

While Nilsen had explained he cut short his stay on Foyleside because he wanted time out to return home and help care for his first child, due in early September, with his girlfriend, Anette, he now claims he ‘wanted to play for Derry with all my heart’ but was left with no choice but to terminate his contract as the coaching staff felt he simply wasn’t fit enough.

With the SSE Airtricity Premier Division due to resume on July 31st, the club agreed to end his contract by mutual consent with City boss Declan Devine declaring: ‘it hasn’t worked out for one reason or another.’

“When I came back to Derry I was 82kg,” said Nilsen. “The hard training for three months with running and a lot of weights was too long without playing football.

"Given my body type, if I train weights I grow muscles very, very easily. So when I came to Derry I was two or three kgs heavier than I should be.

“Of course the pictures from the first training session weren’t good for me, but the pictures lie!,” he insisted. “The coaching staff still said I wasn’t trained well enough but I was allowed to play football after two weeks of running.

“Of course I wasn’t in my best football shape after four months with running and no football. So all I needed was to play football every day for two weeks and everything would be good.

“The club told me I needed to get down to 80kg and I did that in one week but it was still not good enough for the staff,” he claimed.

“With time I feel I would have been able to lose the weight gained during lockdown and it was five weeks until the season starts.”

Despite cutting short his stay in Ireland, Nilsen says he enjoyed his time with Derry and admits the imminent arrival of his first baby also played a part in agreeing to leave the club.

“I actually just want to thank the club,” he said. “It’s a great club and fantastic players. It’s a lot to handle with a baby due at start of September and then not being able to play games for maybe two to four weeks because families and babies come first. That is a big reason this all happened.

“I will still follow every game of Derry and wish them all good luck.”