Paul Dickov
Encyclopedia
Paul Dickov is a retired Scottish footballer, turned manager who is currently in charge of League One
side Oldham Athletic. He retired from playing on 7 May 2011 to concentrate on managing the club.
Dickov started his career with Arsenal
, where he won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1994, but was never a first team regular and in 1996 he moved to Manchester City
, who were then in Division One
. Over six seasons at the club, Dickov experienced two promotions
and two relegations, playing in three different divisions. Dickov left in 2002 to join Leicester City
, where he stayed for two seasons and, in 2004, he signed for Blackburn Rovers
, and was part of the team which qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2005–06. Upon the expiry of his Blackburn contract in 2006, he rejoined Manchester City
.
In 2000, he made his debut for the Scotland national team
against San Marino
. In total he has represented his country ten times, scoring one goal.
His preferred position was as a support striker and even played on the wings.
on 22 August 1996 in a transfer valued between £750,000 and £1 million, the final signing of Alan Ball's Manchester City management. He made his debut as a substitute against Stoke City
on 24 August, a 2–1 defeat which was Ball's final match. Dickov made his first Manchester City start in the next match, in a 2–1 win over Charlton Athletic
. Dickov joined the club in a period of turmoil; in his first season at Manchester City he played under five different managers (three full-time appointments and two caretakers). A regular starter under Asa Hartford
, Steve Coppell
and Phil Neal
, he played less frequently under Frank Clark, and finished the season with five goals from 25 League starts. At the start of the 1997–98 season, Dickov did not feature in the first team, but was restored to the starting line-up following injuries to Uwe Rösler
and Lee Bradbury
. Dickov finished the season as the City's top scorer with nine goals, but the club were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history after finishing in 22nd place.
Dickov, wearing the number 9 shirt, played a supporting role in a striking partnership with Shaun Goater
in the 1998–99 season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick
against Lincoln City
. He scored an important equaliser against Wigan Athletic in the play off semi final 1st leg (which was also the last ever goal to be scored at Springfield Park
). The sixteenth goal was particularly crucial, a 15 yard, top corner injury time equaliser in the final of the promotion playoffs against Gillingham
. Dickov's 95th minute goal took the game to extra time, and the Manchester team ultimately won to earn promotion to the First Division. This goal, scored past Vince Bartram
, the best man at Dickov's wedding, was voted City’s Greatest Ever Goal in a 2005 poll conducted by Manchester City.
Dickov retained his place in the first team at the start of the 1999–2000 season. He started each of the first fifteen League games, despite suffering a facial injury on 26 September 1999 in which he lost a tooth. The run of starting appearances came to an end on 27 October, when he damaged knee ligaments in a match against Ipswich Town
. During the subsequent absence, Manchester City signed Robert Taylor
, and most of Dickov's appearances in the second half of the season were as a substitute. One of these substitute appearances was the final match of the season, a 4–1 win at Blackburn. Dickov scored the third Manchester City goal as City clinched promotion
to the Premier League.
When Manchester City returned to the Premier League for the 2000–01 season, it appeared that Dickov's chances of playing would be limited as City signed former FIFA World Player of the Year
George Weah
and Costa Rica
n international Paulo Wanchope
. However, Dickov earned a place in the team, his performances attracting the attention of the then Scotland national football team
manager Craig Brown, who called him up to the Scotland squad for the first time.
City were relegated back into the First Division
for the 2001–02 season and Kevin Keegan
replaced Joe Royle
as manager. Dickov found his first team opportunities at the club limited especially as the team had other strikers such as Paulo Wanchope
, Shaun Goater
and Darren Huckerby
. Having fallen out of favour, on 22 February 2002 he moved to Leicester City
for £150,000.
. His first goals for Leicester came in his sixth appearance, when he scored both Leicester goals in a 2–1 victory against Blackburn Rovers
, the club's first win for four months. However, Dickov only scored two more goals that season. Leicester finished bottom and were relegated.
He scored a career-high of 20 goals in the 2002–03 season as Leicester made an immediate return to the top flight, finishing runners-up in Division One behind Portsmouth
.
He managed to score 13 goals in the 2003–04 season. Leicester were subsequently relegated to the First Division and Dickov moved to Blackburn Rovers
, declining an offer of an improved contract from Leicester and exercising a contractual clause which allowed him to join a Premier League club for a nominal fee.
as a half-time substitute against West Bromwich Albion
on 14 August 2004. He scored his first goal for the club in the following match, a 3–2 defeat to Southampton
. Dickov was involved in the majority of matches in the 2004–05 season, until a knee injury caused him to miss the last few weeks of the season. He finished the season with ten league goals. In 2005–06, Dickov found it hard to retain a regular place in the side, with manager Mark Hughes
having signed forwards Craig Bellamy
and Shefki Kuqi
during the summer. A red card against West Ham
caused him to miss most of the first month of the season. He had a run of first team games in the autumn but starting appearances became fewer as the season progressed. He left the club in the summer of 2006 following the expiry of his contract.
on 26 May 2006, signing a two-year contract. He came on as a substitute in City's first game of the 2006–07 season against Chelsea
, a 3–0 defeat. He then started the next three matches, including a 1–0 win over his former club Arsenal
.
Dickov suffered several injuries over the course of the season, including a back problem, a knee injury and a toe injury, the latter sidelining him for four months. Dickov made nine starts and seven substitute appearances in 2006–07, but failed to score a single goal. In May 2007 he announced his interest in pursuing a coaching role when he retires. He was transfer listed by Manchester City in August. He joined Crystal Palace
on a three-month loan on 31 August 2007. He played his first game for the Eagles in a friendly against Crystal Palace Baltimore, Crystal Palace's American counterparts, on Friday 7 September, playing the full 90 minutes.
managed by Simon Grayson
on loan until May. Two days later he scored on his debut for Blackpool, what proved to be the winning goal in the Seasiders' 2–1 victory against Leicester City, one of his former clubs, at Bloomfield Road
. He had come on as a 70th-minute substitute and scored the winning goal in the 89th minute. It was his first goal since 2 January 2006. He went on to score five goals in his first five appearances for the club, and on March 4 he was named as the Professional Footballers' Association
(PFA)'s Fans Championship Player of the Month for February. By the end of his loan, Dickov had scored six goals in eleven appearances. He returned to Manchester City
after his loan before then being released at the end of the season.
and Blackpool
, Dickov decided to rejoin Leicester on 7 August 2008, signing a two-year contract. He made his debut in a 2–0 home win over Milton Keynes Dons
on 9 August 2008, scoring his first goal in a 3–2 League Cup
defeat to Fulham
on 27 August. He made a total of 20 league games, scoring 2 goals as Leicester finished the 2008–09 season as League One
champions.
on loan until January as cover. Due to an injury crisis Dickov found himself playing regularly at Derby, where his dogged style won over the support of the Derby fans. Dickov scored his first goal for Derby against Queens Park Rangers on 24 October 2009. After his loan spell at Derby ended, Dickov returned to Leicester in January 2010. He was released from his contract by Leicester on 1 February 2010 in order to find a new club.
side Toronto
had beaten Leeds to Dickov's signature, however United eventually won the race for the Scot. Leeds also had to receive special dispensation from FIFA
to sign Dickov due to the fact he had already played for two clubs this season, the maximum permitted. Dickov was named on Leeds' bench against Brentford and made his debut for Leeds when he came on as a late substitute. Made his impact as a Leeds player by getting booked immediately, scrapping with Brentford winger Ryan Dickson before the ball had come into play.
Dickov made his first start for Leeds in Leeds' loss against Millwall, after replacing the injured Jermaine Beckford
in the starting lineup. At the end of the 2009-10 season Leeds finished 2nd thus earning promotion to The Championship. Dickov's contract wasn't renewed after promotion.
.
Dickov opted to build a youthful side and made controversial decisions at the start of the season to offload 2009–10 player of the year and club captain Sean Gregan
as well as top scorer Paweł Abbott amongst other first team players. The team went into the New Year in ninth position, with games in hand on the teams above them, and being unbeaten at home in the league. Results in the second half of the season were less consistent and the team finished the season in the bottom half of the table. On 6 May 2011 Dickov announced that he would make only his second appearance of the season for the first team in the final match of the season, and would then end his playing career to concentrate on management. He the came on as a 77th minute substitute the following day against Milton Keynes Dons
.
against San Marino
. He made two further substitute appearances that year, against Croatia
and Australia. Limited first-team opportunities at club level then meant Dickov was not selected for international duty for another two years. Good form at Leicester earned him a recall in September 2002. He made his first international start against the Faroe Islands
. However, playing out of position on the wing, he was substituted at half-time as the faltering Scotland team drew 2–2 against a nation 62 places lower in the world rankings
. In the return fixture a year later, Dickov scored his first international goal in a 3–1 win. His most recent cap came in a 1–0 defeat against Norway
in October 2004. In total he has earned ten Scotland caps and has scored one goal.
naming him "The Wasp", and during his time at Leicester he was known as "The Pest".
to Janet. He has three children. He was arrested in March 2004, along with team-mates Keith Gillespie
and Frank Sinclair
, on allegations of sexual assault
while at a training camp in La Manga
, Spain. All three were later cleared when forensic tests showed the allegations were false. Five years after the case, Dickov revealed it to be the "darkest period" of his footballing career.
According to one source, Dickov owes his family name to a Bulgarian
grandfather.
|2000||3||0
|-
|2001||0||0
|-
|2002||1||0
|-
|2003||3||1
|-
|2004||3||0
|-
!Total||10||1
|}
Leicester City
Manchester City
Arsenal
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Oldham Athletic. He retired from playing on 7 May 2011 to concentrate on managing the club.
Dickov started his career with Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, where he won the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1994, but was never a first team regular and in 1996 he moved to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, who were then in Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. Over six seasons at the club, Dickov experienced two promotions
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
and two relegations, playing in three different divisions. Dickov left in 2002 to join Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, where he stayed for two seasons and, in 2004, he signed for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, and was part of the team which qualified for the UEFA Cup in 2005–06. Upon the expiry of his Blackburn contract in 2006, he rejoined Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
.
In 2000, he made his debut for the Scotland national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
against San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
. In total he has represented his country ten times, scoring one goal.
His preferred position was as a support striker and even played on the wings.
Manchester City
Dickov joined Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 22 August 1996 in a transfer valued between £750,000 and £1 million, the final signing of Alan Ball's Manchester City management. He made his debut as a substitute against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
on 24 August, a 2–1 defeat which was Ball's final match. Dickov made his first Manchester City start in the next match, in a 2–1 win over Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. Dickov joined the club in a period of turmoil; in his first season at Manchester City he played under five different managers (three full-time appointments and two caretakers). A regular starter under Asa Hartford
Asa Hartford
Richard 'Asa' Hartford is a retired Scottish international midfielder and footballer who became famous for failing a medical examination due to the discovery of a heart condition which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds United in November 1971.-Early career:He first played for Drumchapel...
, Steve Coppell
Steve Coppell
Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
and Phil Neal
Phil Neal
Philip George "Phil" Neal is a former footballer who was, at one time, the most successful player in English football history. He played for Liverpool 650 times over an eleven year period and is the only player to have appeared in the first five of their European Cup finals, winning four of them...
, he played less frequently under Frank Clark, and finished the season with five goals from 25 League starts. At the start of the 1997–98 season, Dickov did not feature in the first team, but was restored to the starting line-up following injuries to Uwe Rösler
Uwe Rösler
Uwe Rösler is a German football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Brentford.Rösler was previously a successful player who played for several clubs, most notably Manchester City , where he was the leading goalscorer for three consecutive seasons from 1995–96 to 1997–98, and 1...
and Lee Bradbury
Lee Bradbury
Lee Michael Bradbury is an English football manager and former footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League. Since January 2011, he has been manager of Bournemouth.-Playing career:...
. Dickov finished the season as the City's top scorer with nine goals, but the club were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history after finishing in 22nd place.
Dickov, wearing the number 9 shirt, played a supporting role in a striking partnership with Shaun Goater
Shaun Goater
Leonard Shaun Goater MBE is a Bermudian footballer who played as a striker for a number of English clubs in the 1990s and 2000s...
in the 1998–99 season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
. He scored an important equaliser against Wigan Athletic in the play off semi final 1st leg (which was also the last ever goal to be scored at Springfield Park
Springfield Park (Wigan)
Springfield Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home ground of Wigan Athletic F.C. until the club moved to the new JJB Stadium after the 1999 season. At its largest, the stadium held 40,000...
). The sixteenth goal was particularly crucial, a 15 yard, top corner injury time equaliser in the final of the promotion playoffs against Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
. Dickov's 95th minute goal took the game to extra time, and the Manchester team ultimately won to earn promotion to the First Division. This goal, scored past Vince Bartram
Vince Bartram
Vincent Lee Bartram is an English former professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. He is now goalkeeping coach at Southampton F.C.-Career:...
, the best man at Dickov's wedding, was voted City’s Greatest Ever Goal in a 2005 poll conducted by Manchester City.
Dickov retained his place in the first team at the start of the 1999–2000 season. He started each of the first fifteen League games, despite suffering a facial injury on 26 September 1999 in which he lost a tooth. The run of starting appearances came to an end on 27 October, when he damaged knee ligaments in a match against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
. During the subsequent absence, Manchester City signed Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (footballer)
Robert Anthony Taylor is an English retired association football player turned manager. He was appointed as manager of Diss Town of the Eastern Counties Football League on 25 April 2008.-Playing career:...
, and most of Dickov's appearances in the second half of the season were as a substitute. One of these substitute appearances was the final match of the season, a 4–1 win at Blackburn. Dickov scored the third Manchester City goal as City clinched promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the Premier League.
When Manchester City returned to the Premier League for the 2000–01 season, it appeared that Dickov's chances of playing would be limited as City signed former FIFA World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
George Weah
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah is a Liberian humanitarian and politician, and an ex-footballer. He ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
n international Paulo Wanchope
Paulo Wanchope
Pablo César Wanchope Watson , more commonly known as Paulo Wanchope, is a Costa Rican former professional footballer. As of February 2009, Wanchope is the second most prolific goalscorer in the history of the national football team, behind Rolando Fonseca, with 45 goals in 73 international...
. However, Dickov earned a place in the team, his performances attracting the attention of the then Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
manager Craig Brown, who called him up to the Scotland squad for the first time.
City were relegated back into the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
for the 2001–02 season and Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
replaced Joe Royle
Joe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
as manager. Dickov found his first team opportunities at the club limited especially as the team had other strikers such as Paulo Wanchope
Paulo Wanchope
Pablo César Wanchope Watson , more commonly known as Paulo Wanchope, is a Costa Rican former professional footballer. As of February 2009, Wanchope is the second most prolific goalscorer in the history of the national football team, behind Rolando Fonseca, with 45 goals in 73 international...
, Shaun Goater
Shaun Goater
Leonard Shaun Goater MBE is a Bermudian footballer who played as a striker for a number of English clubs in the 1990s and 2000s...
and Darren Huckerby
Darren Huckerby
Darren Huckerby is a former English footballer who played as a forward.-Early career:Huckerby was born in Nottingham, England. His mother is of partial Georgian descent. Huckerby started playing professionally for Lincoln City, before signing for Newcastle United in a £400,000 deal in 1995...
. Having fallen out of favour, on 22 February 2002 he moved to Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
for £150,000.
Leicester City
Dickov's Leicester debut came in a 3–0 defeat against Derby CountyDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. His first goals for Leicester came in his sixth appearance, when he scored both Leicester goals in a 2–1 victory against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, the club's first win for four months. However, Dickov only scored two more goals that season. Leicester finished bottom and were relegated.
He scored a career-high of 20 goals in the 2002–03 season as Leicester made an immediate return to the top flight, finishing runners-up in Division One behind Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
.
He managed to score 13 goals in the 2003–04 season. Leicester were subsequently relegated to the First Division and Dickov moved to Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, declining an offer of an improved contract from Leicester and exercising a contractual clause which allowed him to join a Premier League club for a nominal fee.
Blackburn Rovers
Dickov debuted for Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
as a half-time substitute against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
on 14 August 2004. He scored his first goal for the club in the following match, a 3–2 defeat to Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
. Dickov was involved in the majority of matches in the 2004–05 season, until a knee injury caused him to miss the last few weeks of the season. He finished the season with ten league goals. In 2005–06, Dickov found it hard to retain a regular place in the side, with manager Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
having signed forwards Craig Bellamy
Craig Bellamy
Craig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
and Shefki Kuqi
Shefki Kuqi
Shefki Kuqi is a Kosovar-born Finnish professional footballer who is currently playing for League One side Oldham Athletic. Kuqi plays predominately as a striker. He has spent most of his career in the English league, and has played for clubs including Stockport County, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich...
during the summer. A red card against West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
caused him to miss most of the first month of the season. He had a run of first team games in the autumn but starting appearances became fewer as the season progressed. He left the club in the summer of 2006 following the expiry of his contract.
Return to Manchester City
Dickov re-joined Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 26 May 2006, signing a two-year contract. He came on as a substitute in City's first game of the 2006–07 season against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, a 3–0 defeat. He then started the next three matches, including a 1–0 win over his former club Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
.
Dickov suffered several injuries over the course of the season, including a back problem, a knee injury and a toe injury, the latter sidelining him for four months. Dickov made nine starts and seven substitute appearances in 2006–07, but failed to score a single goal. In May 2007 he announced his interest in pursuing a coaching role when he retires. He was transfer listed by Manchester City in August. He joined Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
on a three-month loan on 31 August 2007. He played his first game for the Eagles in a friendly against Crystal Palace Baltimore, Crystal Palace's American counterparts, on Friday 7 September, playing the full 90 minutes.
Blackpool loan
On 31 January 2008, Dickov joined BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
managed by Simon Grayson
Simon Grayson
Simon Nicholas Grayson is a retired English footballer and current manager of Leeds United. He is the elder brother of cricketer Paul Grayson....
on loan until May. Two days later he scored on his debut for Blackpool, what proved to be the winning goal in the Seasiders' 2–1 victory against Leicester City, one of his former clubs, at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
. He had come on as a 70th-minute substitute and scored the winning goal in the 89th minute. It was his first goal since 2 January 2006. He went on to score five goals in his first five appearances for the club, and on March 4 he was named as the Professional Footballers' Association
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
(PFA)'s Fans Championship Player of the Month for February. By the end of his loan, Dickov had scored six goals in eleven appearances. He returned to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
after his loan before then being released at the end of the season.
Return to Leicester
An initial bid from his former club Leicester City was rejected a week earlier, and after pondering other offers from Toronto FCToronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
and Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, Dickov decided to rejoin Leicester on 7 August 2008, signing a two-year contract. He made his debut in a 2–0 home win over Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
on 9 August 2008, scoring his first goal in a 3–2 League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
defeat to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
on 27 August. He made a total of 20 league games, scoring 2 goals as Leicester finished the 2008–09 season as League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
champions.
Derby County loan
On 28 August 2009, Dickov joined Derby CountyDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
on loan until January as cover. Due to an injury crisis Dickov found himself playing regularly at Derby, where his dogged style won over the support of the Derby fans. Dickov scored his first goal for Derby against Queens Park Rangers on 24 October 2009. After his loan spell at Derby ended, Dickov returned to Leicester in January 2010. He was released from his contract by Leicester on 1 February 2010 in order to find a new club.
Leeds United
On March 3, 2010 Dickov signed for Leeds United until the end of the season. It was initially thought that MLSMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
side Toronto
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
had beaten Leeds to Dickov's signature, however United eventually won the race for the Scot. Leeds also had to receive special dispensation from FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
to sign Dickov due to the fact he had already played for two clubs this season, the maximum permitted. Dickov was named on Leeds' bench against Brentford and made his debut for Leeds when he came on as a late substitute. Made his impact as a Leeds player by getting booked immediately, scrapping with Brentford winger Ryan Dickson before the ball had come into play.
Dickov made his first start for Leeds in Leeds' loss against Millwall, after replacing the injured Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Beckford
Jermaine Paul Alexander Beckford is an English footballer who plays for Leicester City as a striker. He started his career as a trainee at Chelsea...
in the starting lineup. At the end of the 2009-10 season Leeds finished 2nd thus earning promotion to The Championship. Dickov's contract wasn't renewed after promotion.
Oldham Athletic
On 9 June 2010, Dickov agreed a one-year rolling contract with Oldham Athletic to become player-manager following the departure of previous manager Dave Penney. It will be Dickov's first attempt at managing and expected to be his last club as a player. His first competitive game as Oldham manager ended in a 2–1 victory at rivals Tranmere with Dale Stephens scoring both goals, Dickov also praised the traveling army of Oldham Fans. On 4 September 2010, he made his debut coming on as a second half substitute against Bristol RoversBristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
.
Dickov opted to build a youthful side and made controversial decisions at the start of the season to offload 2009–10 player of the year and club captain Sean Gregan
Sean Gregan
Sean Matthew Gregan is an English professional footballer. A defender, he has played in all of the top four leagues in England.- Early career :...
as well as top scorer Paweł Abbott amongst other first team players. The team went into the New Year in ninth position, with games in hand on the teams above them, and being unbeaten at home in the league. Results in the second half of the season were less consistent and the team finished the season in the bottom half of the table. On 6 May 2011 Dickov announced that he would make only his second appearance of the season for the first team in the final match of the season, and would then end his playing career to concentrate on management. He the came on as a 77th minute substitute the following day against Milton Keynes Dons
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
.
International career
Dickov made his international debut on 7 October 2000, coming on as a substitute in a World Cup qualifier2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification....
against San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
. He made two further substitute appearances that year, against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
and Australia. Limited first-team opportunities at club level then meant Dickov was not selected for international duty for another two years. Good form at Leicester earned him a recall in September 2002. He made his first international start against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
. However, playing out of position on the wing, he was substituted at half-time as the faltering Scotland team drew 2–2 against a nation 62 places lower in the world rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
. In the return fixture a year later, Dickov scored his first international goal in a 3–1 win. His most recent cap came in a 1–0 defeat against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
in October 2004. In total he has earned ten Scotland caps and has scored one goal.
Style of play
Although he is a striker, Dickov is better known for his tenacity than his goal-scoring exploits. In a 2003 interview with the Independent on Sunday he provided a summary of his playing style: "The ability to battle is one of the main parts of my game. I know my limits. I am not the sort who gets the ball and is then going to beat five or six players and stick it in the top corner from God knows where. But, whether I'm playing well or not, the one thing you will get from me is 110 per cent, upsetting defenders and basically giving them pain." Rio Ferdinand was mentioning his name as the biggest headache to deal with on the pitch. His combative approach resulted in Manchester City manager Joe RoyleJoe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
naming him "The Wasp", and during his time at Leicester he was known as "The Pest".
Personal life
Dickov is marriedMarriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
to Janet. He has three children. He was arrested in March 2004, along with team-mates Keith Gillespie
Keith Gillespie
Keith Robert Gillespie is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays in midfield for Longford Town....
and Frank Sinclair
Frank Sinclair
Frank Mohammed Sinclair is an English-born Jamaican footballer who plays for Hendon in the Isthmian League Premier Division.-Chelsea:...
, on allegations of sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
while at a training camp in La Manga
La Manga
La Manga , or La Manga del Mar Menor is a seaside spit in the Region of Murcia, Spain.The strip is 22 km long and 100 metres wide , separating the Mediterranean Sea from the Mar Menor lagoon, from Cabo de Palos to the Punta del Mojón.Historically, it was known by the Romans as Palus and...
, Spain. All three were later cleared when forensic tests showed the allegations were false. Five years after the case, Dickov revealed it to be the "darkest period" of his footballing career.
According to one source, Dickov owes his family name to a Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
grandfather.
Player
(Correct as of 7 May 2011, substitute appearances in brackets)| Club | Season | League | Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
1992–93 | 1 (2) | 2 | — | — | 1 (2) | 2 |
| 1993–94 | 0 (1) | 0 | — | — | 0 (1) | 0 | |
| Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
1993–94 | 8 (7) | 1 | — | — | 8 (7) | 1 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... |
1993–94 | 8 | 5 | — | — | 8 | 5 |
| Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
1994–95 | 4 (5) | 0 | 2 (2) | 3 | 6 (7) | 3 |
| 1995–96 | 1 (6) | 1 | — | — | 1 (6) | 1 | |
| Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
1996–97 | 25 (4) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 28 (4) | 5 |
| 1997–98 | 21 (9) | 9 | 2 (1) | 0 | 23 (10) | 9 | |
| 1998–99 | 25 (13) | 12 | 5 (3) | 3 | 30 (16) | 15 | |
| 1999–2000 | 22 (12) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 25 (12) | 6 | |
| 2000–01 | 15 (6) | 4 | 2 (2) | 1 | 17 (8) | 5 | |
| 2001–02 | 0 (7) | 0 | 0 (1) | 1 | 0 (8) | 1 | |
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
2001–02 | 11 (1) | 4 | — | — | 11 (1) | 4 |
| 2002–03 | 42 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 46 | 20 | |
| 2003–04 | 28 (7) | 11 | 4 | 2 | 32 (7) | 13 | |
| Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
2004–05 | 27 (2) | 10 | 6 | 1 | 37 (2) | 11 |
| 2005–06 | 17 (4) | 4 | 4 (1) | 2 | 21 (5) | 6 | |
| Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
2006–07 | 9 (6) | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | 9 (8) | 0 |
| 2007–08 | — | — | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | |
| Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
2007–08 | 6 (3) | 0 | — | — | 6 (3) | 0 |
| Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
2007–08 | 7 (4) | 6 | — | — | 7 (4) | 6 |
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
2008–09 2008–09 in English football The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while... |
4 (16) | 2 | 3 (3) | 1 | 7 (19) | 3 |
| 2009–10 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 | |
| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
2009–10 | 10 (6) | 2 | — | — | 10 (6) | 2 |
| Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
2009–10 | 1 (3) | 0 | — | — | 1 (3) | 0 |
| Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic A.F.C. Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league... |
2010–11 2010–11 Football League One The 2010–11 Football League One is the seventh season of the league under its current title and nineteenth season under its current league division format... |
0 (2) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (2) | 0 |
| Career totals | 292 (127) | 100 | 38 (17) | 18 | 334 (144) | 118 | |
International
|-|2000||3||0
|-
|2001||0||0
|-
|2002||1||0
|-
|2003||3||1
|-
|2004||3||0
|-
!Total||10||1
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 6 September 2003 Hampden Park Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
2–1 3–1 Euro 2004 qualifier UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Group 5Standings and results for Group 5 of the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 5 consisted of Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland, Lithuania and Scotland...
Manager
| Team | Country | From | To | Record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Oldham Athletic |  |
9 June 2010 | Present |
||||||
| Total |
|||||||||
Leeds United
- Coca-Cola League One Runners Up (Promoted): 2009–2010
Leicester City
- Division One Runners Up (Promoted)Football League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
: 2002–2003The Football League 2002-03The 2002–2003 season was the 103rd completed season of The Football League.-Football League First Division:Portsmouth won the First Division by some distance, passing manager Harry Redknapp’s old club, West Ham on the way down. Leicester City earned a somewhat controversial promotion, as... - League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
: 2008–09
Manchester City
- 1998–99 Division 2 Playoff Final Winners
- 1999-200 Division 1 Promotion
Arsenal
- 1994 UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
Winner.