Dave Kitson

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.