Dave Kitson, English footballer and manager
David Barry Kitson (born 21 January 1980) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. He made 420 appearances in the Premier League and Football League, including 135 for Reading.
Kitson began his career with non-League Hitchin Town and Arlesey Town before he joined Cambridge United in 2001 and became one of the brightest prospects in the Third Division which led to him being signed by Reading in 2003 for a fee of £150,000. He enjoyed great success with the "Royals", forming a formidable partnership with Kevin Doyle as Reading gained promotion to the Premier League in 2006. After two seasons in the top flight Reading were relegated and Kitson signed for newcomers Stoke City for a club record fee of £5.5 million.
However, his career soon started to become sour and, after failing to score a single goal, he was loaned back to Reading. He began the 2009–10 season better, scoring twice, but was then loaned out again this time to Middlesbrough. He returned to Stoke in January 2010 but continued to struggle and, after manager Tony Pulis branded him 'petulant', he was allowed to join Portsmouth as part of a swap deal for Marc Wilson. He spent two seasons at Fratton Park but agreed to cancel his contract with Portsmouth in August 2012 with the club in danger of being liquidated, and subsequently joined Sheffield United on a short-term deal, before signing a two-year contract at Oxford United in June 2013.
Since retiring Daz and his family have moved to the North East of England, where he owns his own business selling soap.