Dave Kitson
David Barry Kitson (born 21 January 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is national team manager and international ambassador for Nauru and works as a coach for Reading Blue Coat School and The Dave Kitson Academy.
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Kitson warming up for Reading in 2008 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Barry Kitson | ||
| Date of birth | 21 January 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Hitchin, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1998 | Hitchin Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2000 | Hitchin Town | 2 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Arlesey Town | ||
| 2001–2003 | Cambridge United | 102 | (40) |
| 2003–2008 | Reading | 135 | (54) |
| 2008–2010 | Stoke City | 34 | (3) |
| 2009 | → Reading (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 2009 | → Middlesbrough (loan) | 6 | (3) |
| 2010–2012 | Portsmouth | 68 | (12) |
| 2012–2013 | Sheffield United | 33 | (11) |
| 2013–2014 | Oxford United | 32 | (4) |
| 2014–2015 | Arlesey Town | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 420 | (129) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2015 | Arlesey Town (player-assistant manager) | ||
| 2023– | Reading Blue Coat School (assistant manager) | ||
| 2024– | Nauru | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
He made 420 appearances in the Premier League and Football League, including 145 for Reading.
Kitson began his career with non-league Hitchin Town and Arlesey Town before he joined Cambridge United in 2001 and became one of the brightest prospects in the Third Division, which led to him being signed by Reading in 2003 for a fee of £150,000.
He enjoyed great success with Reading, forming a formidable strike partnership with Kevin Doyle as Reading won the Championship title with a record 106 points and gained promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 2006. After two seasons in the top flight Reading were relegated and Kitson signed for Stoke City for a club record fee of £5.5 million.
He had loan spells with Reading and Middlesbrough before joining Portsmouth. He spent two seasons at Fratton Park but agreed to cancel his contract with Portsmouth in August 2012 with the club in danger of being liquidated, and subsequently joined Sheffield United on a short term deal, before signing a two year contract at Oxford United in June 2013.