Kevin Doyle (footballer)

1.1. Youth and League of Ireland

Doyle joined St Patrick's Athletic in September 2001 as a free agent, marking the start of his professional career. Initially registered with the club's U-18 team, he made his senior debut just weeks later on September 24, coming on as a second-half substitute in a match at Oriel Park. In February 2003, Doyle moved to Cork City, where he found considerable success under manager Pat Dolan, who had also coached him at St Patrick's Athletic. Though initially deployed as a right winger, Doyle quickly transitioned back to his natural position as a centre-forward, where he scored 25 goals for the club. He also notably scored two goals in six appearances during the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup, including the winning goal in a 1-0 victory against Dutch club NEC Nijmegen. Prior to his departure from Turners Cross Stadium, Doyle was recognized by thousands of fans with a standing ovation during a match against Finn Harps.

2.1. Reading

Doyle signed a two-year contract with Reading of the Football League Championship on June 7, 2005, for a transfer fee of 78.00 K GBP. Although he left Cork City before they won the league title in November, Doyle was still entitled to a winner's medal. At Reading, he was initially a reserve player but earned significant playing time and began scoring goals due to injuries to teammates Dave Kitson and Leroy Lita. He became instrumental in Reading's league title victory and their first-ever promotion to the Premier League in 2006, contributing 19 goals across all competitions, including an equalizer in the match against Leicester City on March 25, 2006, which secured their promotion.

Doyle's impressive performance saw him top the league's official scoring system, the Actim Index. He also received the club's Player of the Year award, the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award for the Championship, and was included in the PFA Championship Best XI. In his first Premier League season, 2006-07, Doyle continued to play a crucial role. He scored his first Premier League goal on August 23 against Aston Villa and, utilizing his strength in aerial duels, had scored 10 goals in 28 matches by Christmas, including a penalty against his boyhood favorite club, Manchester United. His strong form led to his nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year award, though he ultimately conceded it to Cesc Fàbregas. A hamstring injury suffered on January 24, 2007, against Everton sidelined him for approximately two months, leading to a decrease in his goal tally.

In the 2007-08 season, Reading struggled due to the departure of key player Steve Sidwell, and Doyle himself faced tougher marking, managing only six goals. Despite scoring in the final match of the season, a 4-0 victory over Derby County, Reading was relegated to the Championship on goal difference. Following the season, amidst speculations of a transfer to Aston Villa and the departure of many key players, Doyle chose to remain with Reading, aiming for a swift return to the Premier League. He scored 18 goals that season, but Reading finished fourth and lost in the playoffs to Burnley, failing to secure promotion.

2.2. Wolverhampton Wanderers

On June 30, 2009, Doyle signed a four-year contract with newly promoted Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers for a club-record transfer fee of 6.50 M GBP. After undergoing a hernia operation that caused him to miss some pre-season friendlies and an injury during international duty that kept him out of the opening league match, Doyle made his debut for Wolves on August 22, coming on as a second-half substitute against Manchester City. He scored his first goal for the club on September 20 against Fulham. With the struggles and injuries of last season's Championship top scorer, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Doyle established himself as the lone striker in Wolves' 4-5-1 formation. He scored a team-high nine goals for the season, playing a crucial role in helping Wolves avoid relegation by finishing 15th. His contributions earned him the club's Player of the Year award at the end of the season. In September 2011, he successfully extended his contract by another four years.

During the 2010-11 season, manager Mick McCarthy experimented with various players and systems, partly due to the arrival of Steven Fletcher, who joined for a transfer fee similar to Doyle's club record. Doyle initially struggled to find his form and missed four matches in December due to an injury sustained on international duty. However, as the team reverted to the 4-5-1 formation Doyle was more accustomed to, he regained his position as the main striker. He scored five goals in the second half of the season, including his first of the season. Notably, on February 5, 2011, Doyle scored the winning goal against Manchester United, ending their 29-match unbeaten streak. However, on March 26, he sustained a knee ligament injury while on international duty again, keeping him out for up to six weeks. He eventually returned on May 14, coming on as a second-half substitute against Sunderland. Despite Wolves securing their Premier League status on the final day, Doyle did not feature in that match.

The 2011-12 season saw Doyle's goal tally drop to just four, coinciding with Wolves' relegation back to the Championship. The following season, 2012-13, was even more challenging as Wolves suffered a second consecutive relegation, this time to Football League One. After the season, newly appointed manager Kenny Jackett informed Doyle that his salary was too high, making a departure likely. However, no clubs made a move for him in the summer 2013 transfer window, leading Doyle, as one of the few remaining players from the Premier League era, to play in the third tier of English football.

2.3. Loan spells

After struggling with Wolves, Doyle was sent on loan to other clubs to regain form and playing time.

On January 31, 2014, Doyle agreed to a loan move to Championship club Queens Park Rangers until the end of the season. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut against Burnley on February 1 and adding a second goal in his third appearance, against Reading on February 16. However, a knee injury in March during a match against Birmingham City caused him to miss many games in March and April. Despite the setback, Doyle played in all three of QPR's promotion playoff matches, helping them return to the Premier League.

On September 1, 2014, Doyle joined Premier League club Crystal Palace on a loan deal until January 2015.

2.4. Colorado Rapids

On March 20, 2015, Kevin Doyle made a move across the Atlantic, transferring to Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer (MLS). He played for the Rapids for two seasons, contributing to their attack. On September 28, 2017, Doyle unexpectedly announced his retirement from professional football, citing medical advice regarding a recurring concussion issue, though this specific detail is not explicitly stated in all sources.

3.1. Youth national teams

Doyle's international career began with the Republic of Ireland U-21 national team, where he made his debut in February 2004 against Portugal, scoring two goals in the match. He went on to earn 11 caps and score 6 goals for the U-21 side. Additionally, Doyle was selected as part of the squad for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, where he scored a goal against Colombia.

3.2. Senior national team

Doyle received his first call-up to the senior national team on September 27, 2005. He made his senior international debut on March 1, 2006, in a friendly match against Sweden at Lansdowne Road. His first competitive start came on September 2, 2006, against Germany in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier. He scored his first international goal in November 2006 against San Marino. For his performances, he was named the FAI Young Player of the Year for 2006 on February 4, 2007, and was also nominated for the senior award in December.

In March 2007, Doyle scored his second international goal, the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Slovakia at Croke Park during the Euro 2008 qualifiers. He followed this with an equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Ecuador on May 23. On September 9, in an away Euro 2008 qualifier against Slovakia, he scored a long-range left-footed shot into the top right corner, a goal that was later voted the FAI International Goal of the Year for 2007. On November 17, he scored two goals in an away Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, under manager Giovanni Trapattoni, Doyle established himself as an ideal partner for Robbie Keane, forming a potent attacking trio with wingers Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady. His contributions earned him the FAI Player of the Year award in February 2009. He made 8 appearances and scored 2 goals in the qualifiers, finding the net against Georgia in the opening match (a 1-2 loss) and against Cyprus (a 1-2 victory). On September 8, 2009, with Robbie Keane, Shay Given, and several other players absent, Doyle served as captain for the first time in a friendly match against South Africa.

On September 7, 2010, Doyle scored his first goal in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers against Andorra at Aviva Stadium, a goal that was again chosen as the FAI International Goal of the Year for 2010 (a 3-1 victory). On October 11, 2011, he received a red card against Armenia after an aerial challenge with Karlen Mkrtchyan. Doyle earned his 50th senior cap for Ireland during the UEFA Euro 2012 match against Italy.

In the 2014 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, Doyle came on as a substitute in the opening match against Kazakhstan, a team ranked significantly lower by FIFA. He played a crucial role in supporting Robbie Keane's equalizing penalty and then scored the winning goal himself in a 2-1 victory. Four days later, he was appointed captain for the second time in a match against Oman, in which he also scored in a 4-1 victory. Despite his contributions, Doyle fell out of favor with manager Trapattoni due to his struggles at the club level and was not called up to the national team. However, after the interim manager Noel King took over, Doyle was recalled on September 30, 2013, for the qualifiers against Germany and Kazakhstan. He played the full 90 minutes in both matches, albeit in an unfamiliar winger position. In total, Doyle earned 64 caps for the Republic of Ireland, scoring 14 goals.

5.1. Club honors

• League of Ireland: 2005 (with Cork City)
• Football League Championship: 2005-06 (with Reading)

5.2. Individual awards

• PFA Championship Team of the Year: 2005-06
• PFA Fans' Player of the Year (Championship): 2005-06
• Football League Championship Player of the Month: September 2008
• FAI International Football Awards U-21 Player of the Year: 2005
• FAI International Football Awards Young Player of the Year: 2006
• FAI International Football Awards Player of the Year: 2008, 2010
• FAI International Football Awards International Goal of the Year: 2007, 2010, 2012
• Wolverhampton Wanderers Player of the Year: 2009-10