Paul Dickov

Arsenal

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. 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. Dickov left Arsenal to join Manchester City in 1996.

Manchester City

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…

Dickov played in Scotland's run in the 1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship, where he scored in the final, but went on to miss in the penalty shoot-out as Scotland lost to Saudi Arabia. He made his senior international debut for Scotland on 7 October 2000, coming on as a substitute in a World Cup qualifier against San Marino. He made two further substitute appearances that year, against Croatia and Australia. Limited first-team opportunities at club level then meant Dickov did not play for Scotland for another two years. Good form at Leicester City earned him a recall in September 2002, when he made his first start for Scotland. Playing out of position on the wing, Dickov was substituted at half-time as the team drew 2–2 against the Faroe Islands, who were 62 places lower in the world rankings at the time. In the return fixture a year later, Dickov scored his first international goal in a 3–1 win. His last cap came in a 1–0 defeat against Norway in October 2004. In total, Dickov earned ten Scotland caps and scored one goal.

Dickov's success as a striker was attributed to his tenacity and persistence; in a 2003 interview with the Independent on Sunday he provided a summary of his playing style: "The ability to battle is one of the main parts of my game. I know my limits. I am not the sort who gets the ball and is then going to beat five or six players and stick it in the top corner from God knows where. But, whether I'm playing well or not, the one thing you will get from me is 110 per cent, upsetting defenders and basically giving them pain." His combative approach resulted in Manchester City manager Joe Royle naming him "The Wasp", and during his time at Leicester he was known as "The Pest".

Oldham Athletic

On 9 June 2010, Dickov signed a one-year contract with League One club Oldham Athletic to become player-manager following the departure of previous manager Dave Penney. It was Dickov's first attempt at managing and expected to be his last club as a player. His first competitive game as Oldham manager ended in a 2–1 victory at rivals Tranmere with Dale Stephens scoring both goals, Dickov also praised the travelling group of Oldham Fans. On 4 September 2010, he made his debut coming on as a second-half substitute against Bristol Rovers. Dickov opted to build a youthful side and made several controversial decisions at the start of the season, including offloading 2009–10 player of the season and club captain Sean Gregan, as well as top scorer Paweł Abbott and other first team players. The team went into the New Year in ninth position, with games in hand on the teams above them, and being unbeaten at home in the league. Results in the second half of the season were less consistent and the team finished the season in the bottom half of the table. On 6 May 2011 Dickov announced that he would make only his second appearance of the season for the first team in the final match of the season, and would then end his playing career to concentrate on management. He then came on as a 77th-minute substitute the following day against Milton Keynes Dons. On 27 January 2013, Dickov led Oldham to a shock 3–2 victory against Premier League team Liverpool in the FA Cup,…