David Hopkin

David Hopkin
Personal information
Full nameDavid Hopkin
Date of birth21 August 1970
Place of birthGreenock, Scotland
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Livingston (assistant head coach)
Youth career
Port Glasgow Rangers B.C.
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1989–1992Greenock Morton48(4)
1992–1995Chelsea41(1)
1995–1997Crystal Palace83(21)
1997–2000Leeds United73(6)
2000–2001Bradford City11(0)
2001–2002Crystal Palace29(4)
2002–2003Greenock Morton6(1)
Total291(37)
National team
1997–1999Scotland7(2)
Teams managed
2003Greenock Morton (joint caretaker)
2012–2015Greenock Morton Reserves
2013Greenock Morton (caretaker)
2013-2014Greenock Morton (assistant manager)
2015-Livingston (assistant head coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

David Hopkin (born 21 August 1970 in Greenock) is a Scottish former professional footballer who is the assistant head coach at Livingston. He was formerly the reserve team manager at Greenock Morton.

As a player he was a midfielder from 1989 until 2003 notably in the English Premier League with spells with Chelsea, Leeds United and Bradford City. He also played in the Football League for Crystal Palace and started and finished his career in his native Scotland with Greenock Morton. He earned 7 caps for Scotland, scoring 2 goals.

Club career

Hopkin started his career at Morton before earning a move to Premier League side Chelsea in 1992. He did not play many games for Chelsea and was later sold to Crystal Palace in 1995 for £850,000 just after their relegation from the Premier League.[1]

At Selhurst Park he wrote himself into Palace folklore by scoring a 90th minute winner in the 1997 Division One Play-off Final against Sheffield United, to put Palace into the Premier League. After two years with Palace, Hopkin moved on to Leeds United and then to their local rivals Bradford City.

He later went on to play for Crystal Palace again before returning to Scotland with his hometown club Greenock Morton in a player/coaching role[2] – however he had to retire in 2003 due to a recurring ankle injury.[3] During his second playing spell at Morton he scored twice, once in the League Cup against St Mirren[4] and once in the league against Gretna.[5]

International career

Hopkin won seven caps for the Scottish national team, scoring twice in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Belarus.[6]

Coaching career

Hopkin and Derek Collins had a brief spell as joint caretaker manager at Morton when they occupied the dugout for a match against Albion Rovers in the 2002/03 season. Hopkin became part of the coaching staff at Maryhill, before returning to Cappielow as the manager of Morton's reserve side alongside Jonatan Johansson.[7]

After Allan Moore was sacked as manager, Hopkin again took interim charge of the first team assisted by Derek Anderson.[8] As well as continuing as manager of the Development squad, he became assistant manager to the newly appointed boss Kenny Shiels. Hopkin took Shiels place as match-day interviewee after Shiels became unable to do so on medical advice.[9] Hopkin resigned as assistant manager of Morton in April 2014.[10]

Hopkin left his post as reserve team manager to become assistant head coach at Livingston to Mark Burchill.[11][12]

References

  1. ↑ Ridley, Ian (13 August 1995). "Club-by-club guide: The prospects, the players to watch, the arrivals and departures". The Independent (London).
  2. ↑ "Hopkin begins coaching at Morton". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 28 August 2002. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  3. ↑ "Morton sack McPherson". BBC Sport. 14 November 2002. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  4. ↑ "Morton 2–3 St Mirren". BBC Sport. 7 September 2002. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  5. ↑ "Morton 2–2 Gretna". BBC Sport. 26 October 2002. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
  6. ↑ "History Archives - David Hopkin". Scottish F.A. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  7. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (5 June 2012). "Hopkin signs up at Ton". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  8. ↑ "1st team update". Greenock Morton F.C. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Morton boss Kenny Shiels stops interviews on medical advice". BBC Sport. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  10. ↑ Mitchell, Jonathan (23 April 2014). "Hopkin steps down as Morton assistant boss". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "David Hopkin joins coaching staff". Livingston F.C. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  12. ↑ McGlade, Neil (21 January 2015). "David Hopkin is new Livingston assistant manager". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 26 January 2015.

External links