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Team bonding strategist & author

Dave Kitson

Transform team performance with Dave Kitson, team bonding strategist and bestselling author. Dave equips organisations with proven strategies for building psychological safety, developing resilience during change, and creating high-trust teams through his InAMinute© technique. Former Premier League footballer whose insights are studied in UK A-Level classrooms nationwide.

Trusted by BBC, Emirates, AMEX, British Airways, Primark

Dave Kitson, Speaker | Ex-PL Star, Coach & Author
Dave Kitson

Dave Kitson

London, United Kingdom

Typical fee range

£2k–5k

This is an estimated fee range for local in-person events. Location and format affect the final fee.

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London, United Kingdom

Starting from

£2k–5k

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Dave Kitson's biography

At a glance

  • Former Premier League footballer for Reading FC, Stoke City, Portsmouth
  • Guardian columnist and Sunday Times bestseller as The Secret Footballer
  • Expert in team bonding and performance
Dave Kitson is a former Premier League footballer who transformed his elite sporting career into a multifaceted role as an influential author, speaker, and coach with unique insights into performance psychology and team dynamics. As the revealed identity behind The Secret Footballer, Dave authored seven Sunday Times bestselling books, including the global number one I Am The Secret Footballer, now studied in A-Level classrooms across the UK. His professional playing career spanned over a decade at Reading FC, Stoke City, and Portsmouth, where he set multiple club records and achieved remarkable milestones. Today Dave helps organisations tackle their most pressing challenges by applying proven principles from elite sports to business environments. His expertise in rapidly building trust within high-pressure teams addresses the critical issues facing today's leaders: creating cohesion during restructures, fostering genuine connection in hybrid workplaces, and transforming groups of talented individuals into high-performing teams with shared purpose. Dave is also a passionate advocate for breaking the stigma around mental health having shared his honest reflections and personal struggles as The Secret footballer. Dave’s discussion on mental health and elite sporting culture influenced reforms in the PFA and drove millions in investment for mental health, anti-racism, and grassroots football. Dave now brings his extraordinary experiences to life using stories, memorabilia, and personal anecdotes involving some of the game’s greatest players—Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Luka Modrić, Wayne Rooney and more. Audiences leave Dave's presentations with practical strategies for building psychological safety in newly formed teams and actionable frameworks for creating deep trust and alignment when time is limited. His real-world stories involving football's biggest names make complex concepts accessible and open up important conversations around mental health and resilience.

Topics, sessions and talks

How To Bond New Teams At Speed
Dave Kitson introduces InAMinute©, a rapid team-bonding technique designed to foster trust and connection in fast-paced workplaces. This method, utilised by leaders in sports, government, and business, encourages team members to share personal stories for just one minute, promoting authenticity and psychological safety. As teams face challenges like restructuring and hybrid work, InAMinute© provides an efficient solution to unite them quickly. You can book this session as a keynote or interactive workshop for your people.

Why we recommend booking Dave

Drawing from his remarkable journey as a Premier League footballer and Sunday Times bestselling author, Dave Kitson delivers transformative insights on building psychological safety, resilience, and trust within teams facing today's most pressing workplace challenges. Book Dave to give your organisation the competitive advantage that comes from applying elite sports psychology to your business environment.

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Trusted by BBC, Emirates, AMEX, British Airways, Primark

Testimonials

Dave’s takes on modern day football gave a whole new dimension to the day.

Mark Tongue

CEO, Select Car Leasing

Dave shared his techniques for dealing with extreme pressure in the world of elite sport which our colleagues found invaluable and easily relatable to the fast-moving pace of high street fashion.

Steve Lawton

Chief Product Officer, Primark

I have seen Dave speak on three or four occasions now, and have found his content to be relatable, practical, and incisive. Would absolutely recommend him for a corporate audience, for an interesting and provocative talk on high performance from someone who has performed at the highest level.

Jamil Qureshi

Performance Psychology Expert

Featured Projects

Dave Kitson - I Am The Secret Footballer - Dave Kitson book cover
Dave Kitson - How to Win: Lessons from the Premier League - Dave Kitson book cover
Dave Kitson - The Secret Footballer's Guide to the Modern Game - Dave Kitson book cover

frequently asked questions

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How do I book Dave Kitson for my next event?

What is Dave Kitson's speaking style like?

Dave Kitson delivers sessions built around InAMinute©, a structured team-bonding method in which participants share personal stories for one minute to build trust and psychological safety. He presents this through keynote or interactive workshop formats, drawing on real-world examples from his Premier League career and encounters with players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard to illustrate concepts around team cohesion and performance.

What topics does Dave Kitson specialise in?

Dave Kitson speaks on rapid team bonding, psychological safety, and mental health in high-performance environments, drawing on his career in elite sport and his work developing the InAMinute© team-connection technique. He is the revealed identity behind The Secret Footballer, author of seven Sunday Times bestselling books including the global number one I Am The Secret Footballer, whose advocacy on mental health influenced reforms at the PFA and directed millions in investment into mental health, anti-racism, and grassroots football.

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Yes. Beyond booking a single speaker, PepTalk helps shape a full programme, matching voices to your agenda, audience, and goals across a day or a series. It is a consultative service, not just a booking. Tell us about your event at getapeptalk.com.

What does 'typical fee range' mean?

Speaker fees vary based on factors like event location, format, and availability. The 'typical fee range' figure gives you a baseline of someone's local, in-person rate sits, and we'll confirm the exact fee when you get in touch.

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A keynote speaker delivers an inspiring or informative talk. An MC hosts and guides the event, keeping things on track. Entertainment — like a band or comedian — creates atmosphere and fun. Each serves a different purpose, and PepTalk can help you book the right talent for all three.

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Not necessarily. While the speakers listed on our website may not have worked with PepTalk in the past, they are recognized professionals in the industry and known to engage in similar events and engagements. Alongside direct talent, we work with a wide variety of speaker agents and talent agencies, to ensure we have the best selection of speakers, hosts, comedians and entertainers available.

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What information do I need to provide when booking a speaker?

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Yes! At PepTalk, you can absolutely bundle entertainment and speakers into one seamless package. It's a great way to create a fuller event experience while enjoying simplified booking and better value. Our team handles everything together, making the process effortless for you.

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