Paul Dickov

Biography:

Paul Dickov was born on 1 November 1972 in Livingston Scotland. He played as a forward for various English clubs during the years 1990 to 2011.

Dickov joined Manchester City on 22 August 1996 in a transfer valued between £750,000 and £1 million, the final signing of Alan Ball’s Manchester City management. Ball’s signing of Dickov was a shrewd move and one that is remembered fondly by many fans. He made his debut as a substitute against Stoke City on 24 August, in a 2–1 defeat which was Ball’s final match.

Dickov’s first Manchester City start was in the next match, in a 2–1 win over Charlton Athletic. When Dickov joined City, it was a tumultuous period in which he played under five different managers. Although in the 1997/98 season Dickov did not feature at the start, he finished it as top scorer with 9 goals, however ultimately City were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history.

The 1998/99 season saw Dickov wearing the number 9 shirt and partnering Shaun Goater, scoring 16 goals in all competitions including a hat trick against Lincoln City. He ended the season strongly, scoring an important equaliser against Wigan Athletic in the play-off semi-final first leg and his last goal of the season was the crucial, 15-yard, injury time equaliser against Gillingham, which secured City’s promotion to the First Division.

During the 1999/2000 Season, Dickov started the first fifteen League games but his run of appearances came to an end on 27 October, when he damaged knee ligaments in a match against Ipswich Town. Whilst convalescing, 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 fourth Manchester City goal as City clinched promotion to the Premier League.

When Manchester City returned to the Premier League for the 2000–01 season, Dickov did not feature regularly due to new signings, however his performances attracted the attention of Scotland 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 with new manager Kevin Keegan at the helm, Dickov found his first-team opportunities at the club limited and, having fallen out of favour, on 22 February 2002 he moved to Leicester City for £150,000.

Notable facts/stories:

City manager Joe Royle nicknaming him “the crocus” due to him coming to life in the Spring months.

The goal against Gillingham, which secured City’s promotion to the First Division was voted City’s Greatest Ever Goal in a 2005 poll conducted by Manchester City.

Dickov returned to City making nine starts and seven substitute appearances in 2006–07

Non-City career:

At Leicester, during the 2002/03 season, he scored a career-high of 20 goals, ensuring Leicester made an immediate return to the top flight, finishing runners-up in Division One behind Portsmouth.

Dickov joined Blackburn Rovers in 2004 and played the majority of matches that season, but injuries meant that he was unable to retain a regular place during the 2005/06 season, leaving when his contract expired. He had further stints at Crystal Palace and Leicester City and a final few months at Leeds United before becoming player-manager at Oldham Athletic.