Dion Dublin facts for kids
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Dublin with Norwich City in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dion Dublin | ||
| Date of birth | 22 April 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Leicester, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre-forward Centre-back |
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| Club information | |||
| Current club | Cambridge United (Club Director) |
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| Youth career | |||
| Wigston Fields | |||
| 1985–1988 | Norwich City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1988–1992 | Cambridge United | 156 | (52) |
| 1988 | → Barnet (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 1988 | → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 1992–1994 | Manchester United | 12 | (2) |
| 1994–1998 | Coventry City | 145 | (61) |
| 1998–2004 | Aston Villa | 155 | (48) |
| 2002 | → Millwall (loan) | 5 | (2) |
| 2004–2006 | Leicester City | 58 | (5) |
| 2006 | Celtic | 11 | (1) |
| 2006–2008 | Norwich City | 70 | (12) |
| Total | 615 | (183) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998 | England | 4 | (0) |
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Dion Dublin (born 22 April 1969) is a famous English former footballer, television presenter, and sports expert. He is currently a club director at Cambridge United.
As a player, he was mainly a centre-forward, known for scoring goals. He played in the top league, the Premier League, for big clubs like Manchester United, Coventry City, and Aston Villa. He also played in Scotland for Celtic and for many other English teams. Dublin played four times for the England national team.
After he stopped playing football, Dublin started a career in entertainment. He also plays percussion and even invented his own instrument called "The Dube." Since 2015, he has been a presenter on the BBC One show Homes Under the Hammer. He also works as a football expert for BBC Sport on shows like Football Focus and Match of the Day.
Contents
Club Career
Starting Out
Dion Dublin was born in Leicester, England. As a schoolboy, he played for local youth teams. He started his professional football journey with Norwich City in 1985. However, he didn't play any first-team games there and left the club in 1988.
In August 1988, Dublin joined Cambridge United for free. He played as a centre-forward, but sometimes had to play as a defender due to injuries. His amazing goal-scoring helped Cambridge United get promoted twice in a row. In the 1989–90 season, Cambridge was promoted from the Fourth Division. Dublin made history by scoring the first-ever goal in a Wembley play-off final.
In the 1990–91 season, Cambridge won the Third Division title. They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in both seasons. Dublin scored against Arsenal in the FA Cup in 1991. In the 1991–92 season, he helped Cambridge achieve their highest-ever league finish, coming fifth in the Second Division. Even though they didn't get promoted to the top league, Dublin always spoke fondly of his time at Cambridge United.
Manchester United
On 7 August 1992, Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, signed Dublin for £1 million. This was a bit of a surprise, as Ferguson had tried to sign Alan Shearer first.
Dublin scored in his fourth Premier League game for United. It was a last-minute winning goal against Southampton, making it 1–0. But on 2 September, he broke his leg during a game against Crystal Palace. This injury kept him out of action for six months. By the time he recovered, United had signed Eric Cantona, who became a key player alongside Mark Hughes. Manchester United won the league that season, their first title since 1967. Dublin didn't play enough games to automatically get a winner's medal, but the Premier League gave him one anyway.
In the 1993–94 season, Dublin was fit again, but it was hard for him to get into the first team. Cantona and Hughes were playing very well together. In December 1993, Manchester United almost sold Dublin to Everton. However, the transfer didn't happen because of a disagreement within Everton's board. Dublin stayed at United for another nine months but couldn't secure a regular spot.
He played five league games that season, scoring one goal against Oldham Athletic. This goal was important in the title race. He also scored once in the Football League Cup. The goal against Oldham was his only competitive goal at Old Trafford. He was not part of the team that won the FA Cup against Chelsea. In September 1994, he was sold to Coventry City for £2 million. This was a record signing for Coventry City at the time.
Coventry City
During his four years at Coventry City, Dublin became one of the best strikers in the Premier League. In the 1997–98 season, he earned his first of four caps for the England national team. That season, he scored 23 goals in all competitions, matching Coventry City's record for most goals in a top-division season.
Coventry City often struggled defensively, even though Dublin was scoring many goals. In May 1997, they had one of the most exciting escapes from relegation in Premier League history. On the final day, Coventry needed to beat Tottenham away from home and hope other results went their way. Goals from Dublin and Paul Williams gave Coventry a 2–1 win. Other teams lost or drew, and Coventry finished 17th, just outside the relegation zone.
The next season, Coventry played better at home and had a more comfortable season. Dublin formed a strong partnership with Darren Huckerby. They scored many memorable goals and helped Coventry reach the FA Cup sixth round. On 8 November 1997, Dublin scored a very unusual goal against Newcastle. The goalkeeper, Shay Given, put the ball down, thinking it was out of play. But Dublin, who was behind him, quickly kicked the ball into the empty net. The match ended 2-2, with Dublin scoring both of Coventry's goals.
In the 1997–98 season, Dublin was one of the Premier League's top scorers. He shared the award with Blackburn Rovers' Chris Sutton and Liverpool's Michael Owen, each scoring 18 league goals.
Aston Villa
Even though he was a top scorer, Dublin was not chosen for the England squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. However, his great performances still caught attention. In autumn 1998, he moved to Aston Villa for £5.75 million. In his first four games for Villa, he scored seven goals, including a hat-trick against Southampton in only his second game. This made him one of only six players to score in their first four games for a Premier League club.
In December 1999, while playing for Aston Villa, Dublin suffered a very serious neck injury. He broke his neck, and now has a titanium plate holding three neck vertebrae together. This injury could have ended his career, but he was back playing just three months later.
In April 2000, he helped Aston Villa reach their first FA Cup final in 43 years. They lost 1–0 to Chelsea, but Dublin scored a penalty in the semi-final shootout.
Later, Dublin faced more competition for a starting spot at Villa. He spent several weeks on loan at Millwall in the First Division during the 2001–02 season. He scored two goals in five league matches for Millwall. After his loan, he returned to Aston Villa and scored a goal in their final game of the season.
Dublin became a first-choice striker again at the start of the 2002–03 season. In March 2003, he was sent off during a match against Birmingham City.
Later Career
When his contract ended in summer 2004, Dublin joined Leicester City on a free transfer. Leicester had just been relegated to the Championship. In his first season, he scored four goals in 38 games. In the 2005–06 season, he played more as a defender. His contract with Leicester ended in January 2006.
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan quickly signed Dublin until the end of the season. At Celtic, Dublin won two trophies: the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Premier League. On 19 March 2006, Dublin scored the final goal as Celtic beat Dunfermline 3–0 to win the Scottish League Cup final. He played enough games to earn a league title medal too. Despite some good performances, Celtic released Dublin in May 2006.
On 20 September 2006, Dublin returned to Norwich City, the club where he started his career, almost 20 years later. He made his debut on 23 September 2006. He scored his first goal for Norwich in a 3–3 draw against Queens Park Rangers on 14 October 2006. Dublin was a key player in helping Norwich avoid relegation. Fans recognized his efforts by voting him second in the Norwich City player of the year award. On 23 May 2007, he signed a new one-year contract.
On 2 September 2007, Dublin announced that the 2007–08 season would be his last as a professional footballer. He said his body was telling him it was time to stop. In spring 2008, his old club Cambridge United asked him to join them, but he stuck to his decision to retire. He was voted Norwich City's Player of the Year and received the Barry Butler trophy on 26 April 2008. Dublin played his final game on 4 May 2008, for Norwich against Sheffield Wednesday. When he left the field, both sets of fans and players gave him a standing ovation.
Playing for England
Dublin played his first game for England on 11 February 1998. He played the full 90 minutes in a friendly match against Chile at Wembley Stadium. In May, he played in the King Hassan II International Cup Tournament. Even though he was a joint top scorer in the Premier League that season, England manager Glenn Hoddle chose Les Ferdinand over Dublin for the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad. On 18 November, Dublin played his last game for England in a friendly win against the Czech Republic. He played four times for England but did not score any goals.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Dublin started working in the media as a football expert for Sky Sports. He has appeared on shows like Ford Super Sunday and provided commentary for UEFA Champions League games. He has also been a panel member on BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk and co-presented 606.
In 2015, he joined the presenting team for the BBC One daytime show Homes Under the Hammer. He regularly appears as a pundit for BBC Sport on Football Focus, Match of the Day, and Final Score. He also sometimes provides commentary for live FA Cup games.
In August 2021, Dublin was a contestant on BBC's Celebrity MasterChef and reached the final.
Away from football, Dublin invented a musical instrument called The Dube. It's a type of cajón, which is a box-shaped percussion instrument. In 2011, he played with the band Ocean Colour Scene at a concert.
In July 2021, Dublin was appointed as a club director at his former club, Cambridge United.
Career Stats
Club
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United | 1992–93 | Premier League | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | |
| Total | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 3 | ||
| Coventry City | 1994–95 | Premier League | 31 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 13 | |
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 34 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 14 | ||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 34 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 13 | ||
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 36 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 20 | ||
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 3 | ||
| Total | 145 | 61 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 151 | 63 | |||
| Aston Villa | 1998–99 | Premier League | 24 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 9 |
| 1999–00 | Premier League | 26 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 16 | |
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 33 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 9 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 30 | 6 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 28 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 14 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | |
| Total | 155 | 46 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 192 | 57 | ||
| Millwall (loan) | 2001–02 | First Division | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 2 | |
| Leicester City | 2004–05 | Championship | 37 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 42 | 6 | |
| 2005–06 | Championship | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| Total | 58 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 65 | 6 | |||
| Celtic | 2005–06 | Scottish Premier League | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 1 | |
| Norwich City | 2006–07 | Championship | 33 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 7 | |
| 2007–08 | Championship | 37 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 41 | 9 | ||
| Total | 70 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 79 | 16 | |||
| Career total | 455 | 125 | 24 | 7 | 23 | 9 | 16 | 3 | 503 | 148 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1998 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
Awards and Achievements
Cambridge United
- Football League Third Division: 1990–91
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1992–93
- FA Charity Shield: 1994
Aston Villa
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League: 2005–06
- Scottish League Cup: 2005–06
Individual
- Premier League Golden Boot: 1997–98
- Premier League Player of the Month: January 1998, November 1998
- Coventry City Hall of Fame
Images for kids
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Dion Dublin applauds Norwich City fans in his final game at Hillsborough, 4 May 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Dion Dublin para niños
