Kevin Russell (footballer)

Kevin John Russell (born 6 December 1966) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Brighton & Hove Albion, Portsmouth, Wrexham, Leicester City, Peterborough United, Cardiff City, Hereford United, Stoke City, Burnley, Bournemouth and Notts County.

Kevin Russell
Personal information
Full name Kevin John Russell
Date of birth (1966-12-06) 6 December 1966
Place of birth Portsmouth, England
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
Stoke City U23s (manager)
Youth career
1982–1984 Brighton & Hove Albion
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1984 Brighton & Hove Albion 0 (0)
1984–1987 Portsmouth 4 (0)
1987–1989 Wrexham 84 (43)
1989–1992 Leicester City 43 (10)
1990Peterborough United (loan) 7 (3)
1991Cardiff City (loan) 3 (0)
1991Hereford United (loan) 3 (1)
1992Stoke City (loan) 5 (1)
1992–1993 Stoke City 40 (5)
1993–1994 Burnley 28 (6)
1994–1995 Bournemouth 30 (1)
1995 Notts County 11 (0)
1995–2002 Wrexham 198 (17)
Total 456 (87)
National team
1984–1985 England U18 6 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

A former England Youth international,[1] Russell (nicknamed Rooster early in his career because of his quiff[2]); later to lose all his hair[3]) was a professional footballer who played for 11 clubs in a career spanning nearly 20 years. Released by Brighton after an apprenticeship Russell returned to his hometown club Portsmouth but appearances were limited[4] He then moved on to Wrexham during the 1987 close season. In the first of his two spells with the club he scored at a rate of just over a goal every two games.[5] In 1989, he joined Leicester City, but was loaned out four times.[6] However, he fought his way into the first team at the end of the 1991–92 season and became a cult-hero, scoring several important late goals after coming off the bench as he helped fire Leicester to the play-off final, eventually losing to Blackburn Rovers. Despite this, he went to Stoke City at the end of the season. While at Stoke he became a key member of the first team as Stoke won the Second Division title in 1992–93.

After one season at Stoke City, he moved onto Burnley for a fee of £130,000.[7] Short spells with Bournemouth and Notts County followed before a move back to the Racecourse Ground. Here, at last, Russell found a permanent home – he was to play nearly 200 more league games for The Robins in a deeper role, eventually being rewarded with a testimonial against Manchester United.[8] In his second spell at Wrexham, he was best remembered for his winning goal against West Ham in an FA Cup third round replay in the 1996–97 season. With the tie goalless, Russell scored a 90th-minute goal to dump West Ham out of the cup at Upton Park.

Coaching career

He remained at the club as a coach until being sacked in January 2007. On 12 January 2011, he agreed to rejoin Peterborough United, with Darren Ferguson for a second spell.[9] On 18 August 2014, it was confirmed that he rejoined Stoke City as a coach for the Under 21 and Under 18 sides.[10] He was promoted to Stoke City U23s manager for the 2018–19 season.[11] In January 2019 he began work, alongside Andy Quy, assisting Stoke's new caretaker manager Rory Delap.[12]

Career statistics

Source:[13]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Portsmouth 1985–86 Second Division 1000001020
1986–87 Second Division 3010101060
Total 4010102080
Wrexham 1987–88 Fourth Division 38212021004222
1988–89 Fourth Division 462220201036025
Total 8443404110310247
Leicester City 1989–90 Second Division 100100000110
1990–91 Second Division 135000000135
1991–92 Second Division 205001052267
Total 43101010525012
Peterborough United (loan) 1990–91 Fourth Division 7300000073
Cardiff City (loan) 1990–91 Fourth Division 3000000030
Hereford United (loan) 1991–92 Fourth Division 3100001141
Stoke City (loan) 1991–92 Third Division 5100000051
Stoke City 1992–93 Second Division 405203051506
Total 456203051557
Burnley 1993–94 Second Division 286404111378
Bournemouth 1993–94 Second Division 171000000171
1994–95 Second Division 130213100182
Total 301213100353
Notts County 1994–95 First Division 110000000110
Wrexham 1995–96 Second Division 407302120478
1996–97 Second Division 410731010503
1997–98 Second Division 160201000190
1998–99 Second Division 312512060443
1999–2000 Second Division 334501000394
2000–01 Second Division 264100010284
2001–02 Second Division 100001110121
2002–03 Third Division 1000000010
Total 198172348211024023
Career Total 45687375245358552105
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy, Football League play-offs and Full Members Cup.

Honours

Stoke City
Burnley

References

  1. Six u-18 caps in the 1984–85 season AFS DataBase
  2. Portsmouth Sports Mail- "Russell to start against Hull": article by Mike Neasom, 14 February 2007
  3. humorous chant
  4. "Portsmouth, from Tindall to Ball" Farmery, C: Southend-on-Sea, Desert Island Books, 1999 ISBN 1-874287-25-2
  5. "The PFA Premier League and Football League Players' Records 1946–98" Hugman,B: Harpenden, Queen Anne Press, 1998 ISBN 1-85291-585-4
  6. Loan details
  7. "Sporting Digest: Football". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. 28 June 1993. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  8. "Russell in awe of Utd youngsters". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 3 August 2005. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  9. Sacked from Wrexham
  10. "Academy coaching details confirmed". Stoke City. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  11. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46794337
  12. Kevin Russell at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  • Kevin Russell at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
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