Derek Lyle

Derek Lyle

Lyle playing for Hamilton Academical
Personal information
Date of birth13 February 1981
Place of birthGlasgow, Scotland
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Queen of the South
Youth career
–1999Partick Thistle B.C.
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1999–2002Partick Thistle37(4)
2001→ East Stirlingshire (loan)11(7)
2002→ Queen of the South (loan)13(6)
2002–2006Queen of the South97(16)
2004→ Stirling Albion (loan)19(10)
2004→ Dunfermline Athletic (loan)0(0)
2006–2008Dundee53(18)
2008–2011Hamilton Academical31(1)
2011Greenock Morton20(4)
2011–2012Hamilton Academical9(1)
2012Cowdenbeath18(1)
2012–Queen of the South96(35)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 April 2015.
† Appearances (Goals).

Derek Lyle (born 13 February 1981) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a striker for Queen of the South.

Playing career

Derek's career started off at Partick Thistle in 1999 but after struggling to hold down a first team spot he went out on loan to East Stirlingshire and then Queen of the South.

Whilst at Palmerston Park the club lifted the Second Division title in season 2001–02 and the Scottish Challenge Cup the following season. Lyle was one of the scorers in the final alongside John O'Neill.[1] A six-goal tally in only thirteen games sealed a permanent move to Dumfries where he went on to make a further 113 appearances netting 23 goals. The striker was not always a regular in the side and had loan spells at Stirling Albion and Dunfermline Athletic. After being told by Queens boss Ian McCall that he was not first choice at the club he decided to leave.

Lyle made an instant impact after joining Dundee from Queens in August 2006, scoring on his debut in a 3–0 win over Clyde. In his first season at Dens Park Lyle was the club's top goalscorer with 12 goals in 26 games.[2]

Lyle joined Hamilton Academical in July 2008 after his new team secured promotion to the SPL,[3] having beaten Lyle's previous team to promotion.[4] Lyle suffered a serious knee ligament injury in the first minute of the club's 0–0 draw with Falkirk on 19 September 2009.[5] He underwent a successful operation a week later [6] but would not play again for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. He signed a short-term contract extension in August 2010 [7] and made his first team return later that month.[8][9]

In January 2011 Lyle signed a short-term contract with Morton which saw him through to the end of the 2010–11 season.[10] Lyle scored his fifth goal for Morton in a 3–1 win at Dunfermline on 5 March 2011.[11] He was released when his contract expired at the end of the season.[12] He returned to Hamilton in July 2011 on a short-term contract.[13] Lyle left the club when his contract expired in January 2012 and went on to join Cowdenbeath.[14]

Lyle signed for Queens for a second spell on 3 August 2012 at the same time as Derek Young.[15] In his second spell at Queens he was part of the Division Two and Challenge Cup double winning side. Lyle is the only player in Queen of the South's history to obtain four winners medals. Lyle has won two Second Division Championships alongside two Challenge Cups with the club.[1]

Personal life

In April 2011 Lyle was arrested by Strathclyde Police, as part of Operation Neptune, on suspicion of possession of controlled substances at his home in Bishopbriggs.[16] This later was confirmed to be "possession with intent to supply", a much more serious charge for which he and partner Nicola Mullen were released on bail pending full committal.[17] In June 2013 criminal charges were dropped against Lyle and Nicola Mullen as they had no case to answer.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Club History" on the official Queen of the South website
  2. ↑ "Derek Lyle profile". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  3. ↑ "Hamilton to take Lyle from rivals". BBC Sport. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  4. ↑ "Reid wants more for Accies squad". BBC Sport. 6 July 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  5. ↑ "Hamilton 0–0 Falkirk". BBC Sport. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  6. ↑ "Accies' Lyle has knee operation". BBC Sport. 25 September 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "Short-term Hamilton deal for Lyle". BBC Sport. 3 August 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  8. ↑ "Raith Rovers 1–0 Hamilton". BBC Sport. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  9. ↑ "Inverness CT 0–1 Hamilton". BBC Sport. 28 August 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  10. ↑ Steele, Russell (14 January 2011). "Morton sign up striker Lyle". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  11. ↑ "Dunfermline 1–3 Morton". BBC Sport. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  12. ↑ Tait, Chris (6 May 2011). "Striker Lyle set to be released". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  13. ↑ "Derek Lyle signs". Hamilton Academical F.C. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  14. ↑ "Registrations Window Opens". Hamilton Academical F.C. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  15. ↑ http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/derek-lyle-and-derek-young-sign-on-at-queens-1-2448088
  16. ↑ Moroney, David (9 April 2011). "Ton player in drugs arrest". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  17. ↑ "Morton ace charged with drug dealing". Evening Times. 12 April 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.

External links