Dave Kitson

Spanning over a decade, David’s professional playing career included memorable spells at clubs such as Reading FC, Stoke City, and Portsmouth. He remains one of just two British players to have scored in every league and domestic cup competition, and holds multiple club records, including being Reading FC’s all-time top scorer at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. He was a key figure in Reading’s record-breaking 106-point Championship-winning season and became the first player to score a Premier League goal for the club.

Off the pitch, David is widely known as the man behind The Secret Footballer, a ground-breaking Guardian newspaper column that lifted the lid on the reality of life inside the professional game. The column led to a series of seven Sunday Times bestselling books, including the global Number one, I Am The Secret Footballer, which has been translated into 37 languages and is now studied in UK A-Level classrooms. His candid, often raw reflections on mental health, performance pressure, the culture of elite sport and the financial future of professional football, sparked vital conversations that led directly to the overhaul of the PFA (Professional Footballers Association), as well as millions of pounds of extra investment into improving mental health, fighting racism and grassoots football.

As a speaker, David brings his extraordinary experiences to life through captivating, adaptable talks that use stories, memorabilia, and personal anecdotes involving some of the game’s greatest players—Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Luka Modrić, Wayne Rooney and more—to explore themes like resilience, adversity, identity, and mental health. Whether speaking to schools, corporate clients, or sports professionals, his sessions are bespoke, thought-provoking, and unforgettable.

Alongside his speaking and media work (including regular roles with Sky Sports, TalkSport, and CNN), David is a passionate educator and coach. He is the founder of the Dave Kitson Academy the largest football academy in Berkshire—where he applies his Four Pillar Philosophy: Enjoyment, Motivation, Ambition, and Humility. He also mentors professional players and grassroots coaches and built one of the most progressive school football programs in the UK, at a private school in Reading, which recently won its first ever national title under his leadership.

A committed lifelong learner, David has studied Global Football Business Management and has completed Harvard University courses in Rhetoric and World Literature. His unique blend of elite sporting experience, educational insight, and powerful storytelling make him one of the most distinctive voices in football today.