Dickov: Paul

2010-2010 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Striker

Born: Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland: 01/11/1972

Debut v Brentford (h) (Substitute): 06-03-2010

5‘5” 11st 9lbs (2008)

Dickov started his football career at Highbury as a Trainee with Arsenal in January 1989, having been spotted playing for Scotland at the 1989 FIFA Under-Sixteen World Championship. He signed professional forms on 28th December 1990 as an eighteen-year-old. He made his debut for the Gunners as a sixty-seventh minute substitute against Southampton in the EPL on 20th March 1993. He followed that up with a goal against Crystal Palace, after coming on again as a sixty-seventh minute substitute on 8th May 1993 and finally had his run-on debut on 11th May 1993 at home to Tottenham Hotspur, when he again scored. However first team chances were few and far between, as Arsenal were well served for strikers and Dickov was well down the pecking order. He was loaned out to Luton Town in October 1993 and scored once in eight League starts and seven games as a substitute. No sooner had he returned to Highbury than he was again loaned out, this time to Brighton & Hove Albion, where he netted five times in eight League starts. He did, however, gain a place on the bench in Copenhagen as Arsenal shocked Parma to win the Cup Winners' Cup Final. It was a pity because few players are as 'honest' as Dickov. He never gave anything less than his all in an Arsenal shirt and, despite question marks over his height, Dickov compensated for his 5 foot 5 inch frame with heart and endeavour. He was quick, skilful and scurried around up front causing problems for defenders. Eventually, apart from being a consistent scorer for the Reserves, there was little to show in his almost six years at Arsenal, and on 23rd August 1996 he left for Manchester City for £1 million having scored four times in the League in seven starts and fifteen from the bench and three goals in the League Cup from two starts and two as a substitute. He stayed at Maine Road for six years and in that time witnessed the ups and downs of the club as he played in three different Divisions and saw them promoted twice and relegated twice in that time. It was not helped by the fact that he played under five different Managers in his first season, allbeit that two were only caretakers. He was bought by Alan Ball and made his debut as a substitute against Stoke City on 24th August 1996, which turned out to be Ball's final as City's Manager. He was in and out of the team and finished the season with just five goals from twenty-five games. The following season saw him initially out of favour but after injuries to the club's main strikers Dickov was recalled and finished as the leading goalscorer with nine as City were relegated from Division One. 1998-99 saw Dickov score sixteen in total as they gained promotion back to Division One via the play-offs. 1999-2000 saw Dickov ever-present in the first fifteen matches. Damaged knee ligaments brought that run to a halt and he was used mostly as a substitute after his recovery and it was in that role that he scored City's third goal in a 4-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers which ensured City's return to the EPL. After City had signed George Weah and Paulo Wanchope it appeared that his chances would be limited in the 2001-02 season but he confounded the sceptics by not only gaining a regular place but playing well enough to be called up for the first time into the Scottish International squad. Dickov made his international debut on 7th October 2000, coming on as a substitute in a World Cup qualifier against San Marino. He made two further substitute appearances that year, against Croatia and Australia. Unfortunately, however, City were relegated back to the First Division and after Joe Royle had been replaced by Kevin Keegan as Manager his first team chances diminished and on 22nd February 2002, after scoring thirty-five League goals in one hundred and fifty-eight League games, of which fifty were as a substitute, one goal in nine F.A. Cup games, including four from the bench, and five League Cup goals in nine starts and five games from the bench, he left for Leicester City for a nominal fee, rumoured to be £150,000. Dickov made his debut for the Foxes against Derby County on 23rd February 2002 but he had to wait six games before opening his scoring account with both goals in 2-1 home win over Blackburn Rovers on 30th March 2002. It was the club's first for four months and Dickov only scored twice more that season as Leicester finished bottom and were relegated. Limited first-team opportunities at club level had meant Dickov had not been selected for international duty for two years, but good form at Leicester earned him a recall in September 2002. He made his first international start against the Faroe Isles He scored his first International goal in the return fixture a year later. It proved to be his only goal in his ten Internationals for Scotland. He had his best season of his career as he scored twenty goals in the 2002-03 season as Leicester made an immediate return to the EPL, finishing runners-up in Division One behind Portsmouth. He followed this up with thirteen in the 2003–04 season as Leicester were relegated back to the First Division and, after scoring thirty-two times in eighty-nine League games, including eight as a substitute, three times in four starts in the F.A. Cup and twice in four League Cup starts, he moved to EPL side Blackburn Rovers for £150,000 on 7th June 2004, on a two year contract. He made his debut for Rovers as a half-time substitute against West Bromwich Albion on 14th August 2004 and scored his first goal for the club in the following match at Southampton, where once again he had come on as a second half substitute. He finished the season with ten goals after figuring often as a substitute and missing the last few games through a knee injury. In 2005–06, he was again only used sparingly and he left the club at the end of the season when his contract expired. He had scorefourteen League goals in fifty games, of which six were as a substitute, and he also scored once in seven F.A. Cup starts and twice in three starts and one game from the bench in the League Cup. He returned to Manchester City on 26th May 2006, on a free transfer and on a two year contract. He made his debut as a substitute in City's first game of the 2006–07 season against Chelsea on 20th August 2006. He then started the next three matches, but found goals hard to come by, failing to score nine starts and seven games as a substitute in the 2006-07 season which was also hampered by frequent injury. In May 2007 he announced his interest in pursuing a coaching role when he retired. He was transfer listed by City in August 2007, and joined Crystal Palace on a three-month loan on 31st August 2007. He made nine League appearances, of which three were from the bench, while at Selhurst Park. He joined Blackpool on 31st January 2008 on loan for the rest of the season and scored on debut two days later as a seventieth minute substitute, scoring the winner against Leicester City in the last minute. He scored five times in his first five games and by the end of his loan had scored six times in seven League starts and four games from the bench. He was released by Manchester City at the end of the season. On 7th August 2008 he re-joined Leicester City on a two year contract, after turning down offers from Toronto FC and Blackpool. He made his debut two days later against Milton Keynes Dons and found the net for the first time at Fulham in the League Cup on 27th August 2008. He scored twice in twenty games as Leicester finished the season as League One Champions. On 28th August 2009 he joined Derby County on loan until January 2010. Due to injuries he was able to feature regularly for the Rams and had scored twice in sixteen League games, of which six were from the bench, by the time he returned to Leicester. On 1st February 2010, after scoring twice in twenty-one League games, of which seventeen were from the bench, one goal in one start and two games from the bench in the League Cup, and one start in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy and one start and two games as a substitute in the F.A. Cup without scoring, Dickov was released from his contract by mutual consent. He signed with Leeds United on 3rd March 2010 for the rest of the season. His first game was as a seventy-ninth minute substitute at home to Brentford on 6th March 2010 and was followed by an eighty-second minute substitute appearance at Tranmere Rovers three days later. He made his run on debut at home to Millwall on 22nd March 2010 and his final game was at home to Swindon Town, when he came on as a seventy-fifth minute substitute on 3rd April 2010. On 9th June 2010, Dickov agreed a one year rolling contract with Oldham Athletic to become their Player-Manager following the departure of previous manager Dave Penney. He retired as a player on 31st May 2011 but as at the end of November 2011 he was still Oldham's Manager