David Hirst

Barnsley

Born in Cudworth, Barnsley, Hirst turned professional in 1985 with his local side, Barnsley. His debut season saw him score nine goals in 28 Second Division games.

Sheffield Wednesday

On 11 August 1986, he signed for Sheffield Wednesday. He was brought to Wednesday by then manager Howard Wilkinson, just before the start of the 1986–87 season. The fee was £250,000. Barnsley's financial troubles saw the young striker sold. His Owls debut came against Charlton Athletic which was the first game of the season as Wednesday began the season away in a 1–1 First Division draw on 23 August 1986. However the following week he made his Hillsborough debut as a substitute against Everton in front of over 33,000 and he scored within minutes of entering the field. He would go on to make 21 league appearances that season, scoring six goals. By 1988–89 he was firmly established in the first team. He became a firm favourite and an idol of the Wednesday supporters, scoring 149 goals in 358 appearances during his eleven years at the club. He was capped three times for England, and scored once. He even managed to score and keep a clean sheet in the same match, (a 2–0 victory over Manchester City in January 1990) after he replaced an injured Kevin Pressman in goal. In 1991, Hirst scored 32 goals as Wednesday were promoted back to the First Division at the first attempt, including a 4-goal haul against Hull City (a 5–1 win) on 1 September 1990. This form led to him being…

He made his international debut in the 1–0 win over Australia, but was replaced at half-time. He was named as a substitute in the next game against New Zealand. He came on at half-time and within three minutes of the restart he scored his first (and only) England goal. With Gary Lineker rested, he lined up with Alan Shearer against France at Wembley. Graham Taylor said, "It's not a question of who will replace Lineker, but who will partner David Hirst".. England won the game 2-0 with Shearer scoring just before half time. Hirst was replaced by Lineker at the break, who also scored. It became Hirst's third and final England match. Although he was selected for more England squads, injuries kept him out of the team.

In April 2013, Hirst was appointed as a coach in the Sheffield Wednesday academy set up. He also held a similar position with Crystal Palace.

Hirst is of Scottish descent through his father. David is the father of professional footballer George Hirst. He has worked as a corporate hospitality host for Sheffield Wednesday during recent seasons.