Everton
Dave Kitson, once known as ‘The Secret Footballer’, has finally revealed his identity, shedding light on his career transition from a Premier League striker to a best-selling author and motivational speaker. Kitson, who played 81 times in the Premier League and scored 15 goals, has opened up about the challenges he faced in the world of football and his subsequent journey into writing.
Dave Kitson said: “I never set out to be a footballer. It was one of those things that just happened. I wanted to be a travel writer. I wanted to get around the world and have someone pay me to do it. So, I fell into football.”
Kitson’s career spanned 403 appearances across seven different clubs, during which he scored 115 goals and provided 30 assists. Despite the glamour associated with being a professional footballer, Kitson revealed that it wasn’t always a dream come true for him. His passion for writing began as a child, and it served as a therapeutic outlet during his football career.
Kitson continued: “I’ve been writing since I was a kid. It’s a passion. As I said, I wanted to be a travel writer. The writing was cathartic. It helped me process what was going on in football.”
The anonymity of ‘The Secret Footballer’ allowed Kitson to express his discontent with the football industry, addressing issues such as agents, dressing room politics, and mental health. However, the pressure of maintaining his anonymity eventually led to significant anxiety.
Kitson added: “It started as something that wasn’t about naming names. It was about explaining what happens in the industry and why. I would write and leave people to form their own opinions. It was fun for a while, then it bred huge anxiety. I had a career and a big contract. If I’d been outed, I would have been sacked and ostracised.”
Kitson also reflected on a particularly poignant moment in his writing career, when he addressed mental health issues in football. His column, published shortly before the tragic death of Gary Speed, brought an unexpected and somber validation to his warnings about mental health in the sport.
Kitson confessed: “The worst thing that happened was when I wrote a column about mental health called Sometimes There’s Darkness Behind the Light. Nobody talked about mental health in football then. If you spoke about it, you were seen as weak. I said there was a mental health epidemic and I predicted it was only a matter of time before someone took their own life. On Sunday, Gary Speed was found dead. That’s when the Secret Footballer stopped being fun.”
Kitson’s journey from footballer to writer has been marked by both personal and professional challenges. His candid reflections offer a unique perspective on the pressures faced by athletes and the importance of mental health awareness in sports.
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