Kyle Vassell
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Kyle Thomas Vassell (born 7 February 1993) is a professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a striker for and
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
s side Kilmarnock. Born in England, he represents the Northern Ireland national team. He began his career as a youth at Norwich City and
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
, before embarking on a nomadic period in
non-League football Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...
. He made his
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
debut for Peterborough United in 2013 and thereafter notably played for
Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club is a professional association football club based in the seaside resort of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. The team competes in EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1887, the ...
and Rotherham United. He is a distant relative of Darius and Isaac Vassell.


Club career


Early years

Vassell began his career as a schoolboy at Norwich City and joined
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
at age 15 after having difficulty with commuting from his
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
home to
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
. He later acknowledged that at the time he found the change of clubs difficult to comprehend. He failed to feature in the first team while at Brentford and spent work experience
loan In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the deb ...
spells at Conference South sides
Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...
and St Albans City during the 2010–11 season. He was released by Brentford in June 2011 after he completed his two-year scholarship
/ref> and later felt that he had given away his opportunity at being a professional footballer.


Dover Athletic

Following interest from Gillingham F.C., Gillingham and Burton Albion and an unsuccessful trial with League Two side Crewe Alexandra, Vassell signed non-contract terms with Conference South side Dover Athletic in October 2011, linking up with former Brentford manager and player Nicky Forster. He scored on his debut against in a 6–3 Kent Senior Cup win over Maidstone United on 12 October. He made three further appearances before leaving the club.


Sutton United, dual-registrations and loan

Vassell signed non-contract terms with Conference South side Sutton United on 30 November 2011 and scored on his debut in a 1–0 Surrey Senior Cup win over Epsom & Ewell on 6 December. Vassell bagged four goals in a 6–0 Surrey Senior Cup win over Godalming Town on 17 January 2012. In December 2011 and January 2012, Vassell had dual-registration spells with Isthmian League Premier Division side Tooting & Mitcham United and Isthmian League Division One South side Whitehawk respectively. He signed for Conference South side Staines Town on loan on 21 March 2012. During the 2011–12 season, he made fifteen Sutton appearances, scored seven goals and helped the club into the Conference South playoffs, where they were knocked out in the semi-finals by Welling United. Vassell made 17 appearances and scored three goals for Sutton during the early months of the 2012–13 season before leaving the club in November 2012.


Chelmsford City

Vassell signed for Conference South side Chelmsford City on 6 December 2012. He scored his first goal for the club on his second appearance in a 2–1 league victory over Boreham Wood on 29 December. From early January 2013 to early February, he was in fine form and bagged five goals in five games. He helped secure a fifth-place finish for Chelmsford, but he suffered playoff heartbreak for the second season running as Chelmsford were beaten in the semi-finals by the eventual promoted team Salisbury City. He finished the season having made 25 appearances and scored seven goals, despite being utilised predominantly in a wide midfield role.


Bishop's Stortford

Vassell signed for Chelmsford City's neighbours and divisional rivals
Bishop's Stortford Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is in the London metropolitan area, London commuter belt, near the border with Essex, just west of the ...
on 30 June 2013. He scored a hattrick in his first competitive game for the club, a 6–1 Herts Charity Cup win over
Ware WARE (1250 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Ware, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves the Springfield radio market. The station is currently owned by Success Signal Broadcasting ...
on 1 August. Vassell scored his first league goal for Bishop's Stortford in a 2–2 draw with Boreham Wood on 19 August. Vassell bagged four goals in 17 minutes in a 5–0
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
second qualifying round win over
Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the London Borough of Barnet, northwest London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient Manorialism, manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has ...
on 29 September, which saw him receive an FA Cup Player Of The Round nomination. Another hattrick followed for Vassell in the FA Cup third qualifying round in a 6–1 victory over Chipstead. Vassell's run of 16 goals in 16 games saw him hailed as "the new Dwight Gayle" (after Gayle secured a move to League One with Peterborough United and subsequently
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side Crystal Palace the previous year on the back of a prolific goalscoring spell for Bishop's Stortford), though Vassell dismissed the comparison. Vassell was the subject of national attention when Bishop's Stortford's FA Cup first round tie with League Two side Northampton Town was chosen to be screened by ITV. Vassell started the match on 10 November, but suffered a dead leg early in the second half and was substituted as Northampton ran out 2–1 winners. It was his last appearance for the club.


Peterborough United

After his goalscoring exploits for Bishop's Stortford led to interest from
Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
clubs, Vassell signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with League One side Peterborough United for an undisclosed fee on 11 November 2013. Vassell made his Peterborough debut (his first appearance in the Football League) on 24 November, starting in a 1–0 home league defeat to Stevenage. He was replaced by Shaun Jeffers after 71 minutes. Vassell was an unused substitute for a 3–2 league defeat to former club Brentford on 26 November and his third Posh appearance came in the return fixture on 1 January 2014. He replaced Mark Little after 76 minutes of the 3–1 defeat. Vassell scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
Southern Area Final first leg draw at home to
Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded as Swindon A ...
on 5 February. Vassell later spent time on loan at Dagenham & Redbridge, before joining Shrewsbury Town on loan for the rest of the season in January 2016. He was released by Peterborough at the end of his contract in May 2016.


Blackpool

On 16 June 2016 it was confirmed Vassell had signed a one-year contract to play for League Two side Blackpool. On 6 August 2016 he scored on his League debut for Blackpool, against Exeter City.


Rotherham United

In July 2018, Vassell signed a three-year deal with
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
side Rotherham United. His first league goal for the club came over a year later; an acrobatic strike against Peterborough United in the League One game on 29 December 2019. On 15 January 2021, Vassell joined League One side Fleetwood Town on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. On 17 May 2021, Rotherham United published their retained list, and confirmed Vassell would be leaving the club at the end of his contract.


Cheltenham Town

On 9 August 2021, Vassell signed a one-year contract with League Two Champions, Cheltenham Town for their League One campaign. On 6 January 2022, Vassell left the club midway through his contract.


San Diego Loyal

Vassell moved overseas for the first time in his career on 17 January 2022, signing with
USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...
club San Diego Loyal SC. He was released by San Diego following the 2022 season.


Kilmarnock

Kyle Vassell signed for Kilmarnock on 1 January 2023 after leaving
USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...
club San Diego Loyal at the end of their 2022 season. He made an immediate impact, scoring his first goal for the club in a 1–0 victory over
Dundee United Dundee United Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish professional association football, football club based in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923. United are nickname ...
in the fifth round of the
Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Inverness Caledonian Thistle, although Kilmarnock were eliminated following a 2–1 defeat. In the 2022–23 Scottish Premiership season, Vassell scored in key matches, including a 2–0 win over Livingston on 13 May 2023 and a 3–0 victory against Dundee United on 24 May 2023, where he scored twice. He concluded the season with six goals in 18 appearances across all competitions. Ahead of the 2023–24 season, Vassell was appointed
club captain The captain of a football/soccer team, sometimes known as the skipper, is a team member chosen to be the on-pitch leader of the team; they are often one of the older or more experienced members of the squad, or a player that can heavily influ ...
. He played a pivotal role in Kilmarnock's successful campaign, scoring 11 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions. Notably, he scored twice in a 3–1 league victory over Livingston on 21 October 2023 and contributed goals in wins against
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
and St Mirren. His performances helped Kilmarnock secure a fourth-place finish in the league, earning qualification for European competition. In the 2024–25 season, Vassell continued to be a key figure for Kilmarnock, making 28 appearances and scoring four goals across all competitions by April 2025. He scored in a European competition, netting in a 2–2 draw against
Tromsø Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...
in the
UEFA Conference League The UEFA Conference League (UECL), usually known simply as the Conference League, is an annual football competition organised since 2021 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It is the thir ...
on 8 August 2024. However in January 2025, Kyle Vassell suffered a shin injury during a
Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, also known as the William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Scotland and the highest level of the Scottish football league system. Th ...
match against St Mirren. After being substituted off, he was taken to
hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
for further investigation amid concerns the injury could be serious.


International career

In October 2018, Kyle Vassell was called up to the Northern Ireland squad for the first time, for their Nations League matches away to
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
and
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. Qualifying for Northern Ireland as his grandfather was from
County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...
, on his call up, Vassell said: "I'm over the moon, it has been a while coming, I'm grateful that my opportunity has come and it's my first ever call-up, so I'm really excited." On 12 October he made his debut against Austria, coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute.


Career statistics


Honours

Blackpool * EFL League Two play-offs:
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vassell, Kyle 1993 births Living people Footballers from Milton Keynes Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland 21st-century sportsmen from Northern Ireland Northern Ireland men's international footballers English men's footballers English people of Northern Ireland descent Men's association football forwards Black British sportsmen 21st-century Black British people Brentford F.C. players Woking F.C. players St Albans City F.C. players Dover Athletic F.C. players Sutton United F.C. players Tooting & Mitcham United F.C. players Whitehawk F.C. players Staines Town F.C. players Chelmsford City F.C. players Bishop's Stortford F.C. players Peterborough United F.C. players Oxford United F.C. players Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. players Shrewsbury Town F.C. players Blackpool F.C. players Rotherham United F.C. players Fleetwood Town F.C. players Cheltenham Town F.C. players English Football League players National League (English football) players Isthmian League players San Diego Loyal SC players English expatriate men's footballers English expatriate sportspeople in the United States Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Kilmarnock F.C. players Scottish Professional Football League players Expatriate sportspeople from Northern Ireland in the United States Expatriate men's association footballers from Northern Ireland 21st-century English sportsmen