Paul Kitson
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul Kitson | ||
| Date of birth | 9 January 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Murton, England | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988–1989 | Leicester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1992 | Leicester City | 50 | (6) |
| 1992–1994 | Derby County | 105 | (36) |
| 1994–1997 | Newcastle United | 36 | (10) |
| 1997–2002 | West Ham United | 63 | (18) |
| 1999–2000 | → Charlton Athletic (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2000 | → Crystal Palace (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 10 | (2) |
| 2003–2004 | Rushden & Diamonds | 28 | (5) |
| 2005 | Aldershot Town | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 303 | (78) | |
| National team | |||
| 1991–1992 | England U21 | 7 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Paul Kitson (born 9 January 1971 in Murton, County Durham) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for Leicester City, Derby County, Newcastle United, West Ham United, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Rushden & Diamonds and Aldershot Town.
Kitson began his career as a trainee at Leicester City in 1988. In one season at Leicester, Kitson and Ian Baraclough, his striking partner, scored 60 or so goals between them for the youth and reserve sides. Baraclough was sold to Grimsby Town, while Kitson scored 11 goals in 63 appearances for the Leicester first-team, and joined Derby County for a club record of £1.3 million transfer fee in March 1992, made up of £800,000 with Phil Gee and Ian Ormondroyd moving to Leicester in part exchange. Derby manager Arthur Cox described him as having "...all the qualities to develop into an outstanding player." and Kitson went on to score 49 goals in 132 appearances in two-and-a half years at Derby.
His arrival at the Baseball Ground came in the final quarter of the 1991–92 season, the last season before the creation of the FA Premier League from the top flight of English football. Derby, bankrolled by wealthy new chairman Lionel Pickering, were spending heavily as they looked to win promotion from the Second Division to the new super league, and ironically one of their biggest promotion rivals were Kitson's former club and arguably Derby's biggest rivals – Leicester City. Kitson scored four times in 12 appearances as the 1991–92 season drew to a close, but defeat to Blackburn Rovers in the playoffs semifinals meant that third placed Derby would be denied a Wembley playoff final meeting with Kitson's former club and most crucially the chance of a place in the new Premier League.
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