Kevin Hector

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Kevin Hector

| image =

| fullname = Kevin James Hector

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1944|11|2}}

| birth_place = Leeds, England

| height =

| position = Striker

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1962–1966

| years2 = 1966–1978

| years3 = 1978–1980

| years4 = 1978

| years5 = 1979–1980

| years6 = 1980–1982

| years7 = 1982

| years8 = 1982–1984

| years9 = 1984–1985

| years10 = 1985–1986

| years11 = 1986–1987

| years12 = 1987–1994

| clubs1 = Bradford Park Avenue

| clubs2 = Derby County

| clubs3 = Vancouver Whitecaps

| clubs4 = → Boston United (loan)

| clubs5 = → Burton Albion (loan)

| clubs6 = Derby County

| clubs7 = Shepshed Charterhouse

| clubs8 = Gresley Rovers

| clubs9 = Belper Town

| clubs10 = Eastwood Town

| clubs11 = Heanor Town

| caps1 = 176

| caps2 = 430

| caps3 = 63

| caps4 = 13

| caps5 = 11

| caps6 = 56

| caps7 =

| caps8 = 38

| caps9 =

| caps10 =

| caps11 =

| caps12 =

| goals1 = 113

| goals2 = 147

| goals3 = 39

| goals4 = 4

| goals5 = 9

| goals6 = 8

| goals7 =

| goals8 = 3

| goals9 =

| goals10 =

| goals11 =

| goals12 =

| totalcaps = 787

| totalgoals = 323

| nationalyears1 = 1973

| nationalteam1 = England

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Kevin James Hector (born 2 November 1944 in Leeds){{Englandstats|ref=y|access-date=29 January 2010}} is an English former footballer who scored 268 goals from 662 appearances in the Football League playing for Bradford Park Avenue and Derby County.{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/kevinhector.html |title=Kevin Hector |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |access-date=29 January 2010}} His 486 League appearances for Derby County is a club record. He also played in the North American Soccer League for the Vancouver Whitecaps,{{cite web|url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/H/Hector.Kevin.html |title=North American Soccer League Players Kevin Hector |work=NASL Jerseys |publisher=Dave Morrison |access-date=29 January 2010 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and was capped twice for England.

Career

Hector had a successful start to his playing career in the lower leagues at Bradford Park Avenue. In season 1965–66, he scored 44 league goals in a single 46-game league season{{cite news|last1=Shaw|first1=Phil|title=Avenue trek down the nostalgia trail: Phil Shaw looks ahead to Saturday's FA Cup encounter between two old rivals from the era of baggy shorts and laced footballs|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-avenue-trek-down-the-nostalgia-trail-phil-shaw-looks-ahead-to-saturdays-fa-cup-encounter-between-two-old-rivals-from-the-era-of-baggy-shorts-and-laced-footballs-1553105.html|access-date=8 September 2015|work=The Independent|date=23 September 1992}} plus 6 goals in the first 4 league games of the following season prior to his transfer to Derby.

Tim Ward signed him for Derby County in 1966 and he was a key player in their success under the management of Brian Clough and Dave Mackay over the next few seasons, forming a formidable partnership with John O'Hare. Hector played for the Rams for a total of 12 years, during which time they won the Football League First Division championship twice (the first time in 1972 under Clough and the second time in 1975 under Mackay) and the Football League Second Division championship (in 1969), and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, the FA Cup and the League Cup.

He left Derby for Vancouver Whitecaps and scored 15 goals for the Canadian outfit as they won the 1979 NASL title.{{cite web |url=https://www.torontofc.ca/news/canada-xi |title=The Canada XI |work=TorontoFC.ca |access-date=16 November 2010}} After his time in North America he rejoined Derby in the early 1980s. He made a record 589 appearances for Derby in his two spells, 486 of which came in league games.{{cite web|url=http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/History/0,,10270~2048745,00.html|title=Derby County Club Records|date=28 May 2010|publisher=Derby County F.C.|access-date=11 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821085746/http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/History/0%2C%2C10270~2048745%2C00.html|archive-date=21 August 2010}}

Hector played twice for England, his debut coming as an 88th-minute substitute in the fateful World Cup qualifier against Poland at Wembley in October 1973, when England, needing victory to qualify, were held to a 1–1 draw. With his first touch of the ball, he nearly won the game for England as his header from a corner was cleared off the line.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

References

[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/kevinhector.html Hector's Football League career stats]
[http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/Archive/?pf=p&i=2726&ap=p&searchname=hector Hector's FA profile]

Category:1944 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Leeds

Category:English men's footballers

Category:England men's international footballers

Category:English Football League players

Category:Men's association football forwards

Category:Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. players

Category:Derby County F.C. players

Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players

Category:Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–1984) players

Category:Burton Albion F.C. players