David Hilton (footballer)

David Hilton
Personal information
Full nameDavid Hilton[1]
Date of birth10 November 1977[1]
Place of birthBarnsley,[1] England
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Playing positionLeft back, left wing
Youth career
1994–1995Manchester United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1995–1997Manchester United0(0)
1997–1998Darlington1(0)
1998Ayr United0(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

David Hilton (born 10 November 1977) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Darlington.[3] He played as a left back or on the left wing.

Career

Hilton was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire.[1] He was a schoolboy international;[4] in June 1993, the Independent's Henry Winter reported that "the chase [was] on to sign David Hilton, a left-sided Barnsley boy with a healthy appetite for raiding down the wing".[5] The chase was won by Manchester United, for whom Hilton had signed schoolboy forms by the time he appeared for England under-16s the following February.[6]

Hilton was a substitute in the second leg of the 1995 FA Youth Cup Final, won by Manchester United on penalties.[7] He turned professional with the club, but never appeared for the first team.[1] Towards the end of the 1996–97 season, with his contract due to expire, Hilton had a trial at Burnley, where he impressed manager Adrian Heath,[8] but no contract ensued. He joined Darlington on a monthly contract at the start of the 1997–98 Football League season and appeared once, on 30 August as a late substitute in a 1–1 draw with Rotherham United in Division Three.[2] In early 1998, Hilton joined Scottish First Division club Ayr United on trial, on the recommendation of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.[9] He signed for them in March,[10] but never played for the first team.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1998). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–1998. Queen Anne Press. p. 256. ISBN 978-1-85291-585-8.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Games played by David Hilton". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Darlington: 1946/47–1988/89 & 1990/91–2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Willacy, David (15 March 1993). "Scottish initiative rewarded". The Independent (London). Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  5. ↑ Winter, Henry (14 June 1993). "England offer hope: Solid Germans are held at Wembley". The Independent (London). Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  6. ↑ Lovejoy, Joe (5 February 1994). "School for youth to survive adult apathy". The Independent (London). Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Hodgson, Guy (16 May 1995). "Cooke's spot success for United". The Independent (London). Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Heath releases eight trainees". Lancashire Telegraph. 30 April 1997. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
    Dewhurst, Tony (6 May 1997). "Heath's facing fight for Murdock". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  9. ↑ Simpson, Gordon (20 January 1998). "Airdrie v Ayr United". Daily Record (Glasgow) – via NewsBank.
  10. ↑ "McManus turns down £100,000 move to Motherwell". The Herald (Scotland). 1 April 1998. Retrieved 10 September 2014.