Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Kevin Hird [1] | ||
Date of birth | 11 February 1955 | ||
Place of birth | Colne, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) [2] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder, right back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1973–1979 | Blackburn Rovers | 132 | (20) |
1979–1984 | Leeds United | 181 | (19) |
1984–1986 | Burnley | 83 | (23) |
1986–19?? | Colne Dynamoes | ||
Total | 396 | (62) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Kevin Hird (born 11 February 1955) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder or right back. He played in the Football League for Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Burnley. He started his career as a midfielder before being converted into a right back.
Hird was born in Colne on 11 February 1955, and grew up as a Burnley fan. [3]
Hird developed through Blackburn Rovers's youth academy, joining as an apprentice in October 1970 and turning professional in February 1973. [4] He made his first team debut for the club towards the end of the 1973–74 season. [4] He was overlooked during the 1974–75 season as Blackburn were promoted from the Third Division as champions, but featured more frequently the following season. [4] Having started his career as a right-sided midfielder, he was successfully converted into a right back during the 1976–77 season by manager Jim Smith. [4]
Hird signed for First Division club Leeds United in March 1979 for a fee of £357,000, a record fee for both clubs and the highest fee paid for a full-back in British football at the time. [3] [4] At Leeds, he was again used both as a midfielder and as a right back, and was noted for his "eye-catching" dribbling skills. [3] He was Leeds' top scorer for the 1979–80 season, albeit with just 8 goals, and held the responsibility of penalty-taker for three seasons. [5] In total, he made 200 appearances for Leeds and scored 21 goals. [3]
In summer 1984, Hird joined Third Division club Burnley. [4] He scored 16 league goals in his first season at the club as they were relegated to the Fourth Division. [3] [4] He remained at the club for a further season before joining non-league Colne Dynamoes. [4]
In January 2008, Hird was accused of police assault after allegedly slapping a female police officer across the face after urinating in the street. [6] Hird admitted to the charge, and was conditionally discharged for six months and ordered to pay £60 costs. [7]
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