EVERTON PAST PLAYER PROFILES
Kevin Kilbane

Squad number | 14 |
Position | Left/Centre Midfield |
Joined | 1 September, 2003 |
Joined from | Sunderland |
Signed by | David Moyes |
Transfer fee | �1.1M |
Full debut | v Newcastle
United (H) 13 September 2003 |
Contract duration | 3 years |
Contract expires | June 2008 |
Final� | v
Tottenham H
(A) 26 August 2006 |
Left Everton | to Wigan Athletic 31 August 2006 |
Transfer fee | �2M |
Born | Preston, Lancashire |
Date of birth | 1 February 1977 |
Height | 5' 10" |
Nickname(s) | Killa, KK, Zinedine Kilbane |
Honours | Ireland international |
STRENGTHS |
Natural width |
Tracking back |
Ability to go at a man |
Strong in the air |
WEAKNESSES |
A "confidence player" |
Inconsistent |
One-footed |
Amid the excitement surrounding the four August 2003 transfer window
deadline deals David Moyes pulled off, this one raised the most opprobrium
among Evertonians. A panic buy? A straight replacement for Mark
Pembridge? A deliberate foil to take the heat off Franny
Jeffers? Not for a cool million, surely?
But Moyes, having worked with Kevin Kilbane at Preston,
obviously likes him. He works his socks off and gets the ball in
nice and early. The quality of that ball, however, is certainly in
question.
Kevin Kilbane has reasonable pace and can score; he tracks back and covers
better than most; he is a good header of the ball and is not going to
hide. He's a natural winger, not a converted full-back. Moyes
will give him his instructions; he may not create but he does the job.
Perhaps extraneous factors also contributed to this move: the departure of
Pembridge, who was within sight of a Bosman; an outstanding account
regarding the Gavin McCann transfer;
Sunderland's lack of cash; and the need for a bit more width in the
team.
Kilbane is a fixture in the Republic of Ireland squad where he often plays central midfield. Certainly in a slightly more defensive role is when you see the best of
him. He did some great work in the 2002 World Cup, tracking back against
Cameroon and Germany.
Despite the reservations, Kevin Kilbane turned into a revelation for all
the nay-sayers among the Goodison faithful in his first couple of seasons. He played with spirit,
drive, commitment, and not a little skill, making a significant
contribution down the left.
The only problem was in David Moyes's mind, where he decided that Kilbane
and McFadden were interchangeable assets in that position: Moyes has
played them together on only a handful of occasions.
Ireland's manager, Brian Kerr, said: "He's a high-energy
player. He has a lot more awareness and vision for the midfield role than
people realised. He has good physical strengths — he can head the ball
well and is able to get up and down the park. He's well able to adapt to a
central role and is in great form for Everton."
Solid, without attracting too much attention in the new 4-5-1 formation, he
(along with Hibbert) racked up the greatest level of consistency in terms of
appearances in David Moyes's small 2004-05 squad. However, as
Everton's season started to tank after Christmas, Killa lost the killer
instinct almost completely, becoming increasingly ineffective.
Good performances became rare and many were convinced that Kilbane wasn't up
to the Premiership; his body language and work rate perhaps reflected this. Nevertheless, David Moyes
secured him on an improved deal, with
a new three-year contract running through 2008.
For his commitment, stamina, and his comparative lack of injury problems, Kilbane has arguably more than repaid the £1.1M outlay but there are signs he has lapsed into the same pattern of form that so frustrated the Sunderland fans towards the end of his time at the Stadium of Light.
He'll run up and down that pitch all day long — for the team, the manager, no matter his limitations, knowing at least he's available for selection. The likes of Van der Meyde might endear themselves to the terraces a bit but Kilbane provides a level of grit, determination, and hard work that we also need!
His departure from Everton came as a bit of a surprise � the only Deadline Day deal as the Summer 2006 transfer window closed, and coming hot on the heels of his early dismissal from the Spurs game that Everton went on to win with a fantastic 10-man performance. In a remarkable piece of business, David Moyes collected something like �2M for him from Wigan!
By
Last updated September 2006
Everton Career | |||||||
Season |
Squad Number |
League Apps (sub) |
League Goals |
Cup Apps (sub) |
Cup Goals |
Total Apps (sub) |
Total Goals |
2003-04 | 14 |
26 (4) |
3 |
3 (0) |
1 |
29 (4) |
4 |
2004-05 | 14 |
37 (1) |
1 |
5 (0) |
0 |
42 (1) |
1 |
2005-06 | 14 |
21 (13) |
0 |
8 (1) |
0 |
29 (14) |
0 |
2006-07 | 14 |
2 (0) |
0 |
0 (0) |
0 |
2 (0) |
0 |
Totals | 86 (18) |
4 |
16 (1) |
1 |
102 (19) |
5 |
Prior Club Record | |||||||
Season | Team | Appearances (sub) | Goals | ||||
1995-1997 | Preston NE | 40(8) & 6(1) | 3 & 0 | ||||
1997-1999 | West Brom | 105(1) & 16(0) | 15 & 3 | ||||
1999-2003 | Sunderland | 102(11) & 7(4) | 8 & 1 |