Secret Footballer says keeping identity concealed stopped being fun after tragic death

Former Reading and Stoke City striker Dave Kitson has finally unmasked himself as 'The Secret Footballer', revealing that the anonymous exposes into the modern game "stopped being fun" following the tragic death of Gary Speed. Kitson, whose true identity was a source of widespread speculation and internet sleuthing among football fans for years, made the confession in a recent YouTube interview, bringing an end to one of football's most enduring mysteries.

For much of the 2010s, Kitson penned five acclaimed books and a popular weekly newspaper column under the pseudonym, offering an unfiltered, often scathing, insider's perspective on the sport. His candid observations, frequently detailing deep-seated frustrations within the professional game, captivated readers and sparked countless online debates as enthusiasts meticulously attempted to decipher clues about his true identity. Beyond Reading and Stoke, Kitson also played for clubs including Cambridge United, Sheffield United, and Portsmouth during his extensive career.

"I am The Secret Footballer. I’ve never said that out loud before," Kitson stated, explaining the genesis of the groundbreaking project. "It was an idea that came to me when I wasn’t happy with where football was going and I needed an outlet to express it for my own mental health." He described writing as a lifelong passion, calling it "cathartic" and instrumental in helping him "process what was going on in football." Initially, the primary aim was to illuminate the industry's often-hidden inner workings without "naming names," allowing readers to form their own informed conclusions.

Dave Kitson has revealed himself as ‘The Secret Footballer’Nick Potts/PA Wire

However, the cloak of anonymity, while empowering, soon became a heavy burden. "It was fun for a while, then it bred huge anxiety," Kitson admitted. With a significant professional contract and his entire career at stake, he lived in constant fear of being "sacked and ostracised" if his identity were prematurely revealed, noting the stark contrast to today's media landscape where "everyone has a podcast and an outlet." Despite the immense personal toll, he expressed profound pride that his work "changed football in this country and led to overhauls at the highest levels."

The definitive turning point, however, arrived with a poignant column he authored on mental health, titled ‘Sometimes There’s Darkness Behind the Light’. Kitson vividly recalled the context: "Nobody talked about mental health in football then. If you spoke about it, you were seen as weak. I said there was a mental health epidemic and I predicted it was only a matter of time before someone took their own life." The column was submitted on a Friday and published on Saturday. "On Sunday, Gary Speed was found dead," he recounted with gravity. "That’s when the Secret Footballer stopped being fun." The tragic coincidence underscored the profound weight of his anonymous observations.