Kevin Doyle facts for kids
.jpg)
Doyle playing for the Colorado Rapids in 2017
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin Edward Doyle | ||
| Date of birth | 18 September 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Adamstown, County Wexford, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.81 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Wexford | |||
| 2002 | St Patrick's Athletic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2003 | St Patrick's Athletic | 13 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Cork City | 76 | (25) |
| 2005–2009 | Reading | 157 | (55) |
| 2009–2015 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 164 | (30) |
| 2014 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 9 | (2) |
| 2014–2015 | → Crystal Palace (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Colorado Rapids | 75 | (17) |
| Total | 490 | (128) | |
| National team | |||
| 2003 | Republic of Ireland U20 | 5 | (1) |
| 2002–2005 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 11 | (7) |
| 2006–2017 | Republic of Ireland | 62 | (14) |
|
|||
Kevin Edward Doyle (born 18 September 1983) is a former Irish footballer. He played as a striker.
Kevin started his career in Ireland with Wexford F.C., St Patrick's Athletic, and Cork City. He then moved to England to play for Reading. He helped Reading get promoted to the Premier League in 2006. In 2009, he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers. He finished his playing career in the United States with the Colorado Rapids.
Doyle also played for the Republic of Ireland national team. He made his debut in 2006. He scored 14 goals in 62 games for Ireland. He even played for his country at UEFA Euro 2012. After retiring from playing, he started working as an advisor for the Wexford GAA Under-20s football team in 2018.
Contents
Who is Kevin Doyle?
Kevin Doyle is a well-known Irish footballer. He played as a forward, which means his main job was to score goals. He had a long and successful career playing for clubs in Ireland, England, and the United States. He also proudly represented his country, Ireland, many times.
Early Career
Kevin Doyle began his football journey in Ireland. He played for a few clubs before moving to England.
Playing for St Patrick's Athletic
Doyle signed his first professional contract with St Patrick's Athletic in September 2001. He first played for the club's under-18 team. Within a few weeks, he made his first team debut. This was on 25 November 2001 in a game against Monaghan United. He played 13 games for the club in total.
Success at Cork City
In March 2003, Kevin joined Cork City. He signed a two-year deal. He reunited with his old manager, Pat Dolan, who had just joined Cork City. Doyle scored 25 goals for Cork City. He started playing on the right-wing but soon moved back to his natural position as a striker.
He also scored two goals in six games during the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup. One of these goals was the winning goal against the Dutch team NEC Nijmegen. Because of his great form, he was named the eircom/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month in November 2004. In his last game for Cork City, thousands of fans gave him a standing ovation. This was before he moved to Reading.
Playing in England
Kevin Doyle spent many years playing football in England. He became a very important player for his teams there.
Joining Reading F.C.
On 7 June 2005, Doyle signed a two-year deal with Reading. He moved from Cork City for about €117,000 (around £78,000). He was originally signed as a back-up player. However, injuries to other players gave him a chance to play. He kept his spot by scoring many important goals.
He scored 19 goals in total that season. This included the goal that helped Reading get promoted to the Premier League for the first time ever. This happened on 25 March 2006. He was a key part of Reading's team that won the Football League Championship in the 2005–06 season. He was even named Reading F.C. Player of the Season for 2005–06. He also won the Championship Fans' Player of the Year award.
Doyle continued to play a big role for Reading in the 2006–07 Premier League season. His first Premier League goal was a header against Aston Villa. He became known for his strong headers. In 2007, he scored more headed goals than any other player in England's leagues. He was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. He finished the season with 13 Premier League goals. Reading was relegated in the 2007–08 season. However, they kept Doyle and many of their best players. He scored 18 league goals in the 2008–09 season.
Moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers
Doyle joined Premier League team Wolverhampton Wanderers on 30 June 2009. He signed a four-year contract for a club record fee of about £6.5 million. He had an operation for a hernia, which affected his first pre-season. He also missed the start of the league season due to another small injury. He finally played his first game for Wolves on 22 August 2009.
He scored his first Wolves goal on 20 September 2009 against Fulham. He often played as a lone striker. His efforts helped the club finish 15th in their first Premier League season. He won the club's Player's Player of the Season Award. He also won their Top Goalscorer Award with nine goals.
Doyle continued to play as a lone striker in the 2010–11 season. He scored five goals for Wolves in the second half of the season. This included the winning goal against Manchester United. This win stopped Manchester United's 29-match unbeaten run. On 26 March 2011, Doyle tore a knee ligament while playing for Ireland. This kept him out of action for about six weeks.
Wolves were relegated from the Premier League to League One in two seasons. The new Wolves manager, Kenny Jackett, said Doyle's wages were too high for the club. Doyle was expected to leave, but no offers came in. He continued to play for Wolves.
On 31 January 2014, Doyle was loaned to Queens Park Rangers (QPR). He scored in his first game for QPR on 1 February 2014. He scored another goal against Reading. He helped QPR get promoted back to the Premier League.
On 1 September 2014, Doyle was loaned to Crystal Palace. He made only three substitute appearances in the Premier League. He scored his only goal for Crystal Palace in an FA Cup game against Dover Athletic. After his loan, he returned to Wolves. His contract ended at the end of the season. He scored 33 goals for Wolves in 179 games.
Playing in the USA
After his time in England, Kevin Doyle moved to play football in the United States.
Time with Colorado Rapids
On 20 March 2015, it was announced that Doyle would join the MLS club Colorado Rapids. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. He joined the club earlier than planned, on 6 May 2015. He made his MLS debut on 23 May 2015. This was in a 1–0 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
On 28 September 2017, Doyle announced he was retiring from football. He retired because of ongoing problems from concussions.
Playing for Ireland
Kevin Doyle was a proud player for his national team, the Republic of Ireland.
Youth Teams and Senior Debut
Doyle first played for the Ireland Under-20 team in January 2003. He was part of the squad at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored a goal against Colombia in that tournament. He also played for the Republic of Ireland U21 team. He made his debut on 2 February 2004 against Portugal. He earned 11 caps (appearances) and scored seven goals for the U21 team.
He was called up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad in October 2005. He made his full international debut against Sweden on 1 March 2006. His first start in a competitive game was against Germany on 2 September 2006. This was a qualifier for Euro 2008. His family had placed a bet two years earlier that he would play competitively for Ireland, and they won €100!
Doyle scored his first goal for Ireland against San Marino in November 2006. He was named the official Football Association of Ireland Young Player of 2006. His second goal came in a 1–0 win over Slovakia in March 2007. He also scored against Ecuador and a great long-range goal against Slovakia in September 2007. His fifth international goal came against Wales.
Representing Ireland at Major Tournaments
During the 2010 World Cup qualifying games, Doyle became a key attacking player for Ireland. He played in 8 of the 10 games and scored two goals. He also captained Ireland for the first time in a friendly game against South Africa in September 2009.
Doyle was nominated for the Football Association of Ireland Player of the Year in 2007. He won the award in 2009 and again in 2010. He also won the Goal of the Year award multiple times for his amazing goals. He scored his ninth international goal in a 2012 European Championships qualifier against Andorra in September 2010.
Doyle reached 50 international caps against Italy at UEFA Euro 2012. In a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan, Ireland was losing 1–0. Doyle came off the bench and helped set up the equalizing goal. Then he scored the winning goal! He was named captain again in a friendly against Oman four days later. He scored again in that game.
In his 62nd game for Ireland, against Switzerland, he suffered a serious leg injury. Luckily, there were no broken bones.
Life After Football
After retiring from playing, Kevin Doyle has stayed involved in football.
He was part of RTÉ Sport's team of football experts for UEFA Euro 2020. He shared his opinions and analysis during the tournament. He also took a job as an advisor for the Wexford GAA Under-20s football team in February 2018.
Career Numbers
Here are some of Kevin Doyle's career statistics.
Club Matches and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| St Patrick's Athletic | 2001–02 | LOI Premier Division | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | LOI Premier Division | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Cork City | 2003 | LOI Premier Division | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 37 | 5 | |
| 2004 | LOI Premier Division | 32 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 40 | 15 | |
| 2005 | LOI Premier Division | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 7 | |
| Total | 76 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 88 | 27 | ||
| Reading | 2005–06 | Championship | 45 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 51 | 19 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 32 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 34 | 13 | ||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 36 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 | Championship | 41 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 18 | |
| Total | 154 | 55 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 163 | 56 | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2009–10 | Premier League | 34 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 37 | 9 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 26 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 31 | 8 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 33 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 36 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | Championship | 42 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 44 | 9 | ||
| 2013–14 | League One | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 3 | |
| 2014–15 | Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 164 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 179 | 33 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 2013–14 | Championship | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| Crystal Palace (loan) | 2014–15 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | |
| Colorado Rapids | 2015 | MLS | 20 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 5 | ||
| 2016 | MLS | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | 31 | 7 | ||
| 2017 | MLS | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 5 | |||
| Total | 71 | 16 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 1 | 78 | 17 | ||
| Career total | 490 | 128 | 17 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 14 | 3 | 540 | 138 | ||
International Matches and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 2006 | 5 | 1 |
| 2007 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2008 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 62 | 14 | |
List of International Goals
- Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Doyle goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 November 2006 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland |  San Marino |
2–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 2 | 28 March 2007 | Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland |  Slovakia |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 3 | 23 May 2007 | Giants Stadium, New York, United States |  Ecuador |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 9 September 2007 | Tehelné Pole, Bratislava, Slovakia | Slovakia |
2–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 5 | 17 November 2007 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales |  Wales |
2–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 6 | 6 September 2008 | Stadion am Bruchweg, Mainz, Germany |  Georgia |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 5 September 2009 | Neo GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Cyprus |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 25 May 2010 | RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland |  Paraguay |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 7 September 2010 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |  Andorra |
2–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 10 | 7 October 2011 | Estadi Comunal, Andorra la Vella, Andorra | Andorra |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 11 | 7 September 2012 | Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan |  Kazakhstan |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 11 September 2012 | Craven Cottage, London, England |  Oman |
3–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 13 | 6 June 2014 | PPL Park, Philadelphia, United States |  Costa Rica |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 14 | 3 September 2014 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland | Oman |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Kevin Doyle won several awards and helped his teams win important competitions during his career.
Team Honours
- Cork City
- League of Ireland: 2005
- Reading
- Football League Championship: 2005–06
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Football League One: 2013–14
- Queens Park Rangers
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2014
- Republic of Ireland
- Nations Cup: 2011
Individual Awards
- PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2005–06 Championship
- PFA Team of the Year: 2005–06 Championship
- Reading Player of the Season: 2005–06
- FAI Under 21 International Player of the Year: 2005
- FAI Young International Player of the Year: 2006
- FAI Senior International Player of the Year: 2008, 2010
- FAI International Goal of the Year: 2007 (vs. Slovakia), 2010 (vs. Andorra), 2012 (vs. Kazakhstan)
- Football League Championship Player of the Month: September 2008
Images for kids
-
Doyle playing for Wolves in 2012
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Doyle para niños
