Paul Dickov

Paul Dickov (born 1 November 1972) is a Scottish former professional football manager and player; he currently works as a television pundit, namely for Manchester City TV.

Born in Livingston, West Lothian, Dickov joined the youth ranks of Arsenal in 1989, after playing for Scotland in the under-16 World Championship.

First team chances were limited for Dickov under the management of George Graham, as he struggled to break into the Arsenal team who were rich in attacking talent.

Dickov played as a forward from 1990 to 2011, starting his career with Arsenal.

He was a member of Arsenal's squad during the first season of the Premier League, making his first team debut against Southampton on 20 March 1993 and scoring in end-of-season games against Crystal Palace and Tottenham.

He then had loan spells at both Luton Town and Brighton & Hove Albion during the 1993–94 season, and was on the bench as Arsenal won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.

He won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1994 with Arsenal, but struggled to hold a place in the first team and spent time on loan with Luton Town and Brighton & Hove Albion before moving to Manchester City in 1996.

Over six seasons at the club, Dickov experienced two promotions and two relegations, playing in three different divisions.

Dickov's 95th-minute goal took the game to extra time, and the Manchester team ultimately won to earn promotion to the First Division.

Dickov left Arsenal to join Manchester City in 1996.

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.

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.

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.

After a slow start, his form improved in the later part of the season, leading to City manager Joe Royle nicknaming him "the crocus" due to him coming to life in the spring months.

He scored an important equaliser against Wigan Athletic in the play off semi final first leg (which was also the last 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 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 that clinched promotion to the Premier League.

Dickov made his full international debut for Scotland in 2000.

In total he represented his country ten times, scoring one goal.

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 Rican international Paulo Wanchope.

However, Dickov earned a place in the team, 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 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.

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.

Having fallen out of favour, on 22 February 2002 he moved to Leicester City for £150,000.

Dickov's Leicester debut came in a 3–0 defeat against Derby County.

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.

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.

Upon the expiry of his Blackburn contract in 2006, he rejoined Manchester City and later went on to play for Crystal Palace, Blackpool, Leicester City again, Derby County, and Leeds United.

In June 2010 he became manager of Oldham Athletic, a position he held until February 2013.

He was then manager of Doncaster Rovers from May 2013 to September 2015.