| Kyle Hurst | |
| Fullname: | Kyle Christopher Hurst[1] |
| Birth Date: | 20 April 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Milton Keynes, England |
| Position: | Winger, forward[2] |
| Currentclub: | Doncaster Rovers |
| Clubnumber: | 21 |
| Youthclubs1: | Milton Keynes Dons |
| Youthyears2: | 20??–2020 |
| Youthclubs2: | Birmingham City |
| Years1: | 2020–2022 |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2022 |
| Clubs2: | → Alvechurch (loan) |
| Caps2: | 4 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2022– |
| Caps3: | 67 |
| Goals3: | 8 |
| Club-Update: | 16:58, 18 August 2024 (UTC) |
Kyle Christopher Hurst (born 20 January 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or forward for club Doncaster Rovers. He began his football career as a youngster with Milton Keynes Dons before joining Birmingham City at 16 and turning professional two years later. He had a loan spell with Southern League club Alvechurch in early 2022, but never played first-team football for Birmingham, and left the club for Doncaster Rovers in July 2022.
Hurst was born in Milton Keynes,[3] and was a youth player with Milton Keynes Dons before taking up a two-year scholarship with Birmingham City in July 2018.[4] [5] According to coach Steve Spooner, Hurst is "a wonderful technician. He has great dribbling skills, great receiving skills. Very attack-minded and can deliver good crosses, but he must become more consistent with his end product."[5]
On his first competitive start for Birmingham's development squad team, in September 2018, Hurst scored the second goal of a 4–0 win against Sheffield Wednesday U23.[6] He scored in the semi-final of the 2019 Professional Development League (PDL) play-offs against Ipswich Town, and started in the final, but had been substituted by the time Birmingham lost to Leeds United U23 in a penalty shoot-out.[7] [8] The following season, he scored an 86th-minute winning goal that took Birmingham into the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup despite having had two players sent off; according to the report on the club's website, he "flicked the ball over an opponent, darted on into the area behind the defensive line and cracked a half-volley that went in off the post."[9] Hurst was given a first-team squad number in 2020, but a hamstring issue prevented any involvement with the matchday squad, and he signed his first professional contract, of three years with the option of a fourth, in June 2020.[10] He again helped Birmingham U23 qualify for the PDL play-offs in 2021, and played the whole of the semi-final win away to Bristol City,[11] but was an unused substitute as his side beat Sheffield United to gain promotion to Premier League 2 for 2021–22.[12]
Hurst scored four goals from 17 appearances for Birmingham's U23 team in the 2021–22 Premier League 2 season.[13] He joined Southern League Premier Division Central club Alvechurch in mid-February 2022 on loan until the end of the season.[14] He made his debut in senior football on 12 February, starting in a 1–1 draw away to Tamworth,[15] and made three more appearances before returning to his parent club.
After a trial in which Hurst played in several pre-season friendlies for Doncaster Rovers,[16] he signed a two-year contract with the League Two club on 22 July 2022.[17] He made his club and Football League debut on the opening day of the 2022–23 season, playing 82 minutes of a goalless draw away to Bradford City before being substituted immediately after receiving a yellow card.[18] Hurst continued in the starting eleven, and scored his first senior goals in his fifth league match, a 20yard chip over the goalkeeper and a powerful shot high to his near post, to complete Doncaster's comeback from 1–0 down against Salford City.[19] On 1 March 2023, by which time he had seven goals from 36 appearances in all competitions, he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club.[20]
Having been almost ever-present in 2022–23, injury kept Hurst out of the new season until 9 September.[21]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Birmingham City | 2021–22 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Alvechurch (loan) | 2021–22[22] | Southern League Premier Division Central | 4 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Doncaster Rovers | 2022–23 | League Two | 45 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 50 | 7 | |
| 2023–24 | League Two | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 30 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 67 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 81 | 11 | |||
| Career total | 71 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 85 | 11 | |||