Kyle Christopher Hurst (born 20 January 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for EFL League Two club Doncaster Rovers. He began his football career as a youngster with Milton Keynes Dons before joining Birmingham City at 16 and turning professional two years later. He had a loan spell with Southern League club Alvechurch in early 2022, but never played first-team football for Birmingham, and left the club for Doncaster Rovers in July 2022.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Kyle Christopher Hurst[1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 20 April 2002||
Place of birth | Milton Keynes, England | ||
Position(s) | Winger,[3] forward[4] | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Doncaster Rovers | ||
Number | 21 | ||
Youth career | |||
Milton Keynes Dons | |||
20??–2020 | Birmingham City | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2020–2022 | Birmingham City | 0 | (0) |
2022 | → Alvechurch (loan) | 4 | (0) |
2022– | Doncaster Rovers | 82 | (9) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:18, 15 December 2024 (UTC) |
Club career
editBirmingham City
editHurst was born in Milton Keynes,[5] and was a youth player with Milton Keynes Dons before taking up a two-year scholarship with Birmingham City in July 2018.[2][6] According to coach Steve Spooner, Hurst is "a wonderful technician. He has great dribbling skills, great receiving skills. Very attack-minded and can deliver good crosses, but he must become more consistent with his end product."[6]
On his first competitive start for Birmingham's development squad team, in September 2018, Hurst scored the second goal of a 4–0 win against Sheffield Wednesday U23.[7] He scored in the semi-final of the 2019 Professional Development League (PDL) play-offs against Ipswich Town, and started in the final, but had been substituted by the time Birmingham lost to Leeds United U23 in a penalty shoot-out.[8][9] The following season, he scored an 86th-minute winning goal that took Birmingham into the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup despite having had two players sent off; according to the report on the club's website, he "flicked the ball over an opponent, darted on into the area behind the defensive line and cracked a half-volley that went in off the post."[10] Hurst was given a first-team squad number in 2020, but a hamstring issue prevented any involvement with the matchday squad, and he signed his first professional contract, of three years with the option of a fourth, in June 2020.[3] He again helped Birmingham U23 qualify for the PDL play-offs in 2021, and played the whole of the semi-final win away to Bristol City,[11] but was an unused substitute as his side beat Sheffield United to gain promotion to Premier League 2 for 2021–22.[12]
Hurst scored four goals from 17 appearances for Birmingham's U23 team in the 2021–22 Premier League 2 season.[13] He joined Southern League Premier Division Central club Alvechurch in mid-February 2022 on loan until the end of the season.[14] He made his debut in senior football on 12 February, starting in a 1–1 draw away to Tamworth,[15] and made three more appearances before returning to his parent club.[16]
Doncaster Rovers
editAfter a trial in which Hurst played in several pre-season friendlies for Doncaster Rovers,[17] he signed a two-year contract with the League Two club on 22 July 2022.[18] He made his club and Football League debut on the opening day of the 2022–23 season, playing 82 minutes of a goalless draw away to Bradford City before being substituted immediately after receiving a yellow card.[19] Hurst continued in the starting eleven, and scored his first senior goals in his fifth league match, a 20-yard (18 m) chip over the goalkeeper and a powerful shot high to his near post, to complete Doncaster's comeback from 1–0 down against Salford City.[20] On 1 March 2023, by which time he had seven goals from 36 appearances in all competitions, he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club.[21]
Having been almost ever-present in 2022–23,[22] injury kept Hurst out of the new season until 9 September.[23][24]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 14 December 2024
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Birmingham City | 2021–22[25] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
Alvechurch (loan) | 2021–22[16] | Southern League Premier Division Central |
4 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
Doncaster Rovers | 2022–23[22] | League Two | 45 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[a] | 1 | 50 | 7 |
2023–24[24] | League Two | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[b] | 2 | 30 | 4 | |
2024–25[26] | League Two | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[a] | 1 | 23 | 2 | |
Total | 82 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 103 | 13 | ||
Career total | 86 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 107 | 13 |
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
- ^ Four appearances in EFL Trophy, two in League Two play-offs
References
edit- ^ "Club list of registered players" (PDF). English Football League. May 2019. p. 4. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Kyle Hurst". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ a b "First professional deal for Blues winger Hurst". Birmingham City F.C. 30 June 2020. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Kyle Hurst". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ "Squads – English Football League Championship 2019/2020: Birmingham City". FootballSquads. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Meet Blues' new scholars for 2018–19". Birmingham City F.C. 16 August 2018. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Report: Blues Under-23s 4 Sheffield Wednesday Under-23s 0". Birmingham City F.C. 30 September 2018. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ Chapman, Joseph (3 May 2019). "Birmingham City U23s' Leeds United PDL final date confirmed". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ Dick, Brian (6 May 2019). "'Gutting' Birmingham City player ratings as U23s suffer play-off final agony at Leeds United". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ "Report: Blues Under-18s 2 Barnsley Under-18s 1". Birmingham City F.C. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 21 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Report: Bristol City Under-23s 1 Blues Under-23s 2 (AET)". Birmingham City F.C. 14 May 2021. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ Dick, Brian (24 May 2021). "Blues U23s vs Sheff Utd U23s player ratings: Man City trainee sparkles as George blunts Blades". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "K. Hurst". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ Dick, Brian (11 February 2022). "Birmingham City sanction winger loan deal". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ Deakin, Alan (12 February 2022). "Last minute heartache for Church". Alvechurch F.C. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Kyle Hurst: 2021/22 season". Alvechurch F.C. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
- ^ Jones, Steve (18 July 2022). "Doncaster Rovers boss Gary McSheffrey hints at move for Birmingham City youngster currently on trial". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ Wobschall, Leon (22 July 2022). "Doncaster Rovers transfer latest: Rovers sign Birmingham City midfielder Kyle Hurst on two-year deal". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "Bradford City – Doncaster Rovers". BBC Sport. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ "Doncaster 2–1 Salford: Kyle Hurst double earns comeback win for Donny". Sky Sports. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "Kyle Hurst: Doncaster winger signs new two-and-a-half-year deal". BBC Sport. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Games played by Kyle Hurst in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "Report: Wrexham 2 Rovers 1". Doncaster Rovers F.C. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Games played by Kyle Hurst in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "Games played by Kyle Hurst in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "Games played by Kyle Hurst in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 December 2024.