Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Kevin William Pilkington | ||
Date of birth | 8 March 1974 | ||
Place of birth | Hitchin, England | ||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
Youth career | |||
Harrowby United | |||
1990–1992 | Manchester United | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1992–1998 | Manchester United | 6 | (0) |
1996 | → Rochdale (loan) | 6 | (0) |
1997 | → Rotherham United (loan) | 17 | (0) |
1998 | → Celtic (loan) | 0 | (0) |
1998–2000 | Port Vale | 23 | (0) |
2000 | Aberystwyth Town | 1 | (0) |
2000 | Wigan Athletic | 0 | (0) |
2000–2005 | Mansfield Town | 170 | (0) |
2005–2010 | Notts County | 141 | (0) |
2009–2010 | → Luton Town (loan) | 8 | (0) |
2010–2012 | Luton Town | 15 | (0) |
2010–2011 | → Mansfield Town (loan) | 10 | (0) |
2012–2017 | Notts County | 3 | (0) |
Total | 400 | (0) | |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:39, 12 October 2015 (UTC). |
Kevin William Pilkington (born 8 March 1974) is an English former professional footballer who had a 25-year career as a goalkeeper, playing 439 league and cup games.
As a player, noted for his shot stopping abilities, Pilkington played in the Premier League for Manchester United before dropping down to the Football League, where he played in nearly 350 games in his time at Mansfield Town and Notts County, helping Mansfield win promotion out of the Third Division in 2001–02. He spent five years with Mansfield and then another ten years over two spells with Notts County; at both clubs he was usually the first choice keeper, rather than a back-up keeper as he was at most other clubs. He has also represented Rochdale, Rotherham United, Celtic, Port Vale, Aberystwyth Town, Wigan Athletic and Luton Town.
Pilkington started his footballing career at Manchester United, signing after he was scouted playing non-league football for Harrowby United. He featured in their FA Youth Cup triumph in 1992, after which he signed a professional contract. He found himself to be the third choice behind Peter Schmeichel and one of Gary Walsh, Tony Coton or Raimond van der Gouw, and although he was selected as an unused substitute in their two goalless draws with Russian side Torpedo Moscow in the 1992–93 UEFA Cup, he did not play a first team game until 16 November 1994, when he appeared as a substitute for the injured Peter Schmeichel in a 3–0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on 16 November 1994. However, manager Alex Ferguson decided to select Walsh as goalkeeper for the 10 league games in which Schmeichel was absent, meaning that Pilkington was on the substitutes bench in each of these games, and back in the reserves once Schmeichel returned to fitness and Walsh returned to the bench.