Pat Kruse
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Patrick Karl Kruse | ||
| Date of birth | 30 November 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Arlesey, England | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Arlesey Town | |||
| 1972–1975 | Leicester City | 2 | (0) |
| 1974 | → Mansfield Town (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 1975 | → Torquay United (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 1975–1977 | Torquay United | 69 | (4) |
| 1977–1982 | Brentford | 186 | (12) |
| 1982 | → Northampton Town (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 1982–1983 | Barnet | 28 | (1) |
| Total | 291 | (17) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Patrick Karl "Pat" Kruse (born 30 November 1953) is an English former professional football centre back who is best remembered for his five-year spell in the Football League with Brentford, for whom he made over 200 appearances. Kruse is known for scoring what is believed to be the fastest own goal of all time, netting past his own keeper after just eight seconds of a match in January 1977.
A Centre Back, Kruse began his career at hometown South Midlands League Premier Division club Arlesey Town. He departed in June 1970.
Kruse secured a move to the top tier of English football in June 1970 when he signed for the club he supports, Leicester City. He spurned the interest of fellow top flight side West Ham United to sign for Leicester. He had to wait over two years to make his professional debut for the Foxes, which came with a start in a 1–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on 27 April 1974. Owing to Malcolm Munro's injury, he filled in again two days later versus Norwich City, this time helping Leicester to a clean sheet in a 3–0 win. Kruse failed to make another first team appearance for the Foxes and departed in March 1975, having made just two appearances in three years at Filbert Street. Looking back in 2005, Kruse felt he would have been better suited to transferring to West Ham United, rather than Leicester City.
Kruse moved to Division Four side Mansfield Town on loan in September 1974. He made six appearances and scored one goal during his spell. The Stags went on to secure promotion to Division Three as champions at the end of the 1974–75 season.
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