Kieron Dyer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kieron Dyer

Dyer training with West Ham United in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Kieron Courtney Dyer
Date of birth	(1978-12-29) 29 December 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Ipswich, England
Height	5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1995–1996	Ipswich Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1999	Ipswich Town	91	(9)
1999–2007	Newcastle United	190	(23)
2007–2011	West Ham United	30	(0)
2011	→ Ipswich Town (loan)	4	(0)
2011–2013	Queens Park Rangers	5	(0)
2013	Middlesbrough	9	(2)
Total		329	(34)
National team
1997	England U20	4	(0)
1997–1999	England U21	11	(1)
1998	England B	3	(0)
1999–2007	England	33	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Kieron Courtney Dyer (born 29 December 1978) is an English former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder. Today, he is a first team coach at Chesterfield FC.

Kieron was born in Ipswich, England. He started his football journey in the youth teams of his hometown club, Ipswich Town. He played nearly 100 league games for their main team.

In 1999, he moved to Newcastle United for £6 million. This was a record fee for an Ipswich player at the time. He played almost 200 games for Newcastle between 1999 and 2007.

Later, he joined West Ham United for the same fee. However, he faced many injuries there. This limited him to only 30 league games in four seasons. After a short loan back to Ipswich, he signed with Queens Park Rangers (QPR). His time at QPR was also affected by injuries. He played only eight games before leaving in 2013. He then spent some time at Middlesbrough before retiring from playing.

Kieron Dyer also played for the England national team 33 times. This was between 1999 and 2007. He was part of the England squads that reached the quarter-finals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004.

Kieron Dyer's Club Career

Starting at Ipswich Town

Kieron Dyer began his football career at his local team, Ipswich Town. He joined them as a young trainee player in 1996 when he was 17. He quickly became a key player in the Ipswich first team. He was known as one of the best young talents outside the top division, the Premier League. After three years, he asked to leave. He wanted to play in the Premier League to help his chances of playing for England.

Playing for Newcastle United

Dyer warming up for Newcastle in July 2007

In July 1999, Kieron Dyer was sold to Newcastle United. The transfer fee was £6 million. This was the highest fee Ipswich Town had ever received for a player at that time. He was the only English player signed by Newcastle's manager, Ruud Gullit. Dyer scored his first goal for Newcastle against their local rivals, Sunderland. However, Newcastle lost that game 2–1. Manager Gullit resigned soon after.

Under the new manager, Bobby Robson, Dyer became a very important player. Newcastle finished high in the Premier League. They were fourth in 2001–02, third in 2002–03, and fifth in 2003–04.

On 2 April 2005, Dyer was involved in an argument with his teammate Lee Bowyer during a game against Aston Villa. Both players were given red cards and sent off. The Football Association (FA) banned Dyer for three matches. Bowyer received a longer ban.

At the start of the 2005–06 season, Dyer was injured again. This time it was a hamstring injury. He returned to play on 4 February 2006. He scored a goal in an FA Cup match against Southampton.

Dyer scored Newcastle's first goal ever at the Emirates Stadium in a 1–1 draw with Arsenal. This was on 18 November 2006. He continued to play well and scored against other teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton Wanderers. He showed he could play in different midfield positions.

In August 2007, Newcastle and West Ham United agreed on a transfer fee for Dyer. He then moved to West Ham.

Time at West Ham United

Dyer warming-up before game for West Ham, April 2009

Kieron Dyer joined West Ham United on 16 August 2007 for £6 million. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for West Ham on 18 August 2007. They won 1–0 against Birmingham City.

However, his time at West Ham was mostly affected by injuries. Just ten days after his debut, he broke his right leg in two places during a League Cup match. This injury made him miss the rest of the 2007–08 season. His recovery was very slow. This led to many people wondering if his career was over.

On 3 January 2009, Dyer made his comeback for West Ham. This was after 17 months out due to injury. He came on as a substitute in an FA Cup game. His injury problems continued in May 2009 with another hamstring injury. He played only a few more games before more hamstring issues kept him out.

In May 2010, it was reported that Dyer was the club's highest-paid player. However, he had only played 22 games and never a full 90 minutes for West Ham. He was released by West Ham at the end of the 2010–11 season.

Loan Return to Ipswich Town

On 11 March 2011, Dyer went back to his first club, Ipswich Town. He joined them on a one-month loan. He played his first game back for Ipswich on 12 March. He made four appearances for Ipswich during this loan spell. West Ham manager Avram Grant did not allow him to stay longer. So, he returned to West Ham.

Playing for Queens Park Rangers

In July 2011, Kieron Dyer signed a one-year contract with Queens Park Rangers (QPR). He made his debut on 13 August 2011. This was on the first day of the Premier League season. But after only three minutes, he was carried off the field with a foot injury. During his recovery, he hurt his foot ligaments again in a reserve game. This injury needed surgery. He was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Despite playing only seven minutes that season, Dyer signed a new one-year contract with QPR. He scored his only goal for the club on 5 January 2013. It was in an FA Cup match against West Bromwich Albion. Just three days later, QPR manager Harry Redknapp released him from the club.

Middlesbrough and Retirement

After leaving QPR, Dyer trained with Ipswich Town to stay fit. On 31 January 2013, he signed a short contract with Middlesbrough. This was another team in the Championship. He made his debut for Middlesbrough on 2 February against Ipswich Town. On 2 March, he scored his first goal for Middlesbrough. This was his first league goal since 2007.

On 16 April, he played a full 90 minutes for the first time since 2010. This was in a game against Nottingham Forest. At the end of his contract, Middlesbrough did not offer him a new one. He then left the club.

Dyer returned to Ipswich as an academy coach. He confirmed he had been training with the first team. There was talk that he might rejoin Ipswich as a player. However, he was not offered a contract. He then officially retired from playing football. He continued his role as an academy coach at Ipswich.

Kieron Dyer's International Career

Kieron Dyer played for England at different youth levels. He then made his debut for the senior team on 4 September 1999. England won 6–0 against Luxembourg. He played as a right back in that game. He was replaced at half-time due to a minor injury. He played his second England game four days later.

England qualified for the Euro 2000 tournament. However, Dyer was not chosen for the squad. He returned to the England squad for the first game after Euro 2000. This was a qualifier for the 2002 FIFA World Cup against Germany. England lost 1–0.

Even though he had played very little under the new manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Dyer was picked for the 2002 World Cup squad. He had a knee injury just before the tournament. But he recovered in time to stay in the squad. He played three times in the tournament, all as a substitute. England was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Brazil.

Dyer played in some Euro 2004 qualifiers. He only played for seven minutes at Euro 2004. This was as a late substitute for Wayne Rooney. His time in the England squad ended due to a hamstring injury. This happened while playing against Middlesbrough.

After almost two years, Dyer returned to the England squad in February 2007. This was for a friendly game against Spain. His last game for England was in August 2007. England lost 2–1 to Germany in that friendly match.

Coaching Career

After retiring from playing, Kieron Dyer became an academy coach at Ipswich Town in 2014. In August 2018, he became the assistant manager for the under-18 youth team. He left the club in August 2019. He wanted to move into managing a first team.

On 26 October 2020, Ipswich confirmed Dyer would return. He became the head coach of the club's under-23 team. He also became more involved with the first team. He often helped with coaching. Dyer unexpectedly left this role on 21 March 2022.

Personal Life

In November 2015, Kieron Dyer was a contestant on the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He finished in fourth place after 21 days. He gave all his earnings from the show to the Jude Brady Foundation charity.

Dyer also took part in the TV show Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2021. During filming, he had a collapsed lung. He was taken to the hospital in October. After tests, Ipswich Town confirmed he had been diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis. This is a liver condition. He needed a liver transplant. In October 2023, Dyer left the hospital after a successful liver transplant.

On 20 November 2024, Dyer received an apology in the high court. This was after settling a phone-hacking case against the Daily Mirror newspaper. The Mirror's owners admitted they had illegally listened to Dyer's voicemails. This happened between March 2003 and December 2004.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Honours

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year:
  • 1997–98 First Division
  • 1998–99 First Division
  • 2002–03 Premier League