David Hirst (footballer)
David Eric Hirst ( born December 7, 1967 in Cudworth (South Yorkshire ) ) is a former English footballer.
Career
Sheffield Wednesday (1986-1997)
David Hirst started his playing career in the 1985/86 season with his hometown club Barnsley FC in the second class Second Division. With nine goals in eight league games he had a promising debut season, which led him to the first division club Sheffield Wednesday on 11 August 1986. With the trained by Howard Wilkinson team Hirst finished ( 21 games / 6 goals) the Football League First Division 1986/87 on the thirteenth place in the standings. In the season 1989/90 met David Hirst (38 Spiele/14 goals) for the first time in two digits, but increased as a Third to last with Sheffield in the second division from. Much better it was for the club in 1990/91, as Wednesday in April 1991 with a 1-0 victory in the final against Manchester United the English League Cup 1990/91 won, and shortly thereafter reached the direct promotion back to the Premier League. David Hirst contributed twenty-four league matches a key part in this success. Coach Ron Atkinson took over after this success, Aston Villa, but also his successor Trevor Francis led Sheffield in the First Division in 1991/92 to third place. Hirst scored eighteen league goals and was thus in the scoring charts with John Fashanu FC Wimbledon and Brian McClair of Manchester United in fourth place. Another very good season the team managed to 1992 /93. After an early exit in the UEFA Cup 1992/93 Sheffield reached on 18 April 1993, the final of the League Cup in 1992/93, but with this lost 1:2 against Arsenal. Less than a month later, the team led by Chris Woods, Chris Waddle, Viv Anderson and David Hirst contested the final of the FA Cup 1992 /93. Opponent in front of 79 347 spectators at Wembley was again the Arsenal. David Hirst was like 61 minutes from the early lead by Ian Wright and thus forced a replay. The five days later held game lost Sheffield with 1:2 nV and thus missed in both cup competitions winning the title. Hirst had incurred in the course of the season a broken ankle, which was the prelude to his injury crisis in the coming years. After two seasons with only a few uses, he scored in the Premier League 1995/96 in thirty league games thirteen matches and finished the season with his team in fifteenth.
After more than eleven years and one hundred and six league matches David Hirst changed on 17 October 1997 for Southampton FC and scored in the Premier League 1997/98 nine goals in eight games. 1998/99 returned to his injury problems and he played towards the end of the season only two league games, which should be his last. During the 1999/2000 season the 32 -year-old finished on the advice of his doctors, his career prematurely.
English national team (1991-1992)
On June 1, 1991 David Hirst made his debut at age 23 in the England national team in a 1-0 victory over Australia. In his second international game a week later in New Zealand, scored by substitute to break Hirst in the 50th minute his first international goal. His third and last match he played on 19 February 1992 in a 2-0 home win over France. Hirst's competitor in the Striker Alan Shearer made his mark in this game and captured the place in attack alongside Gary Lineker. Besides Lineker and Shearer nominated coach Graham Taylor with Alan Martin Smith and Nigel Clough two other players for the European Championships in 1992, thus forgoing David Hirst. Due to numerous injuries Hirst was not back to his old form and played no further international match.
Achievements
- League Cup Winners: 1991 (1-0 against Manchester United)
- League Cup Runners-up: 1993 ( 1:2 against Arsenal )
- FA Cup finalist: 1993 (1:1 and 1:2 nV against Arsenal )