Dean Martin (footballer, born 1972)

Dean Edward Martin (born 31 August 1972) is an English football manager, coach and former player who is assistant coach of ÍA.

Dean Martin
Personal information
Full nameDean Edward Martin[1]
Date of birth (1972-08-31) 31 August 1972 (age 51)
Place of birthIslington, England[1]
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Position(s)Midfielder
Team information
Current team
ÍA (assistant coach)
Youth career
West Ham United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1990–1991Fisher Athletic
1991–1993West Ham United2(0)
1992–1993Colchester United (loan)8(2)
1993–1995Kettering Town43(6)
1995KA16(3)
1995–1996Brentford19(1)
1996KA15(1)
1996Eastern AA
1996–1997Hong Kong Rangers
1997KA5(0)
1997–1998Hong Kong Rangers
1998ÍA10(2)
1998Bohemians3(0)
1999Hereford United1(0)
1999KA14(3)
1999–2000Stevenage Borough22(2)
2000KA16(3)
2000–2001Stevenage Borough29(4)
2001–2004KA69(5)
2005–2007ÍA28(2)
2007–2010KA60(5)
2010–2013ÍA43(5)
2013–2014ÍBV16(0)
Managerial career
2007–2010KA (player-manager)
2014–2016Breiðablik U19
2016–2017HK U19
0000–2017Iceland U16
2017Iceland U15
2018–2023Selfoss
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

A midfielder, Martin spent much of his playing career in Iceland with KA and ÍA and he also played in England, Hong Kong and the Republic of Ireland. He moved into coaching and management whilst still a player and has held senior and youth roles with club and international teams in Iceland.

Playing career

Early years

A midfielder, Martin began his career in Sunday League football, before moving to Conference club Fisher Athletic.[3] He returned to First Division club West Ham United, with whom he had spent a period as a youth, for a £25,000 fee in May 1991.[4] Martin made three appearances during the second half of the 1991–92 season, which would be his only for the club.[5] He spent the opening month of 1993 on loan at Third Division club Colchester United and was released by the Hammers to join Conference club Kettering Town in September 1993,[6][7] where he remained until 1995.[2]

Iceland

Martin moved to Iceland to join 1. deild karla club KA in 1995.[4] Martin's Icelandic career stretched from 1995 to 2014 and he played in the top two divisions, principally for KA and ÍA.[8] He won a promotion from the 1. deild karla with each club and played European football for both.[9][10][11] Martin retired at age 42, after spending the 2014 Úrvalsdeild season with ÍBV.[12]

Football nomad

Between 1995 and 2001, Martin spent the autumn and winter months playing for clubs outside Iceland.[4] He returned to England to play for Brentford (1995–96), Hereford United (1998–99) and Stevenage Borough during the 1999–00 and 2000–01 seasons.[13] He also played in Hong Kong for Eastern AA and Hong Kong Rangers and in the Republic of Ireland for Bohemians.[3][14]

Managerial and coaching career

Martin completed his KSÍ 'A' coaching badges in 2009 and has a BSc in Sports Science from Reykjavík University.[12] He has held management roles at KA, Breiðablik U19 and HK U19.[12][15][16][17] He has worked as an assistant manager at club sides ÍA, ÍBV and HK.[17][18][19][20][21] On 26 September 2018, Martin was appointed as manager of newly-relegated 2. deild karla club Selfoss on a two-year contract.[22] He achieved promotion back to the 1. deild karla in 2020,[23] but suffered relegation back to the 2. deild karla in 2023.[23] Martin departed the club in September 2023 and immediately rejoined former club ÍA as an assistant coach.[23][24]

In international football, Martin has assisted and coached Iceland at youth level and in January 2017 he was appointed the KSÍ's head of talent identification.[4][12][25] He departed his roles to become assistant manager of China Women in November 2017,[26] but he left the setup after manager Sigurður Ragnar Eyjólfsson was sacked in May 2018.[27]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cup[a]League cup[b]EuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
West Ham United1991–92[5]First Division20100030
Colchester United (loan)1992–93[6]Third Division8282
KA1995[28]1. deild karla16310173
Brentford1995–96[13]Second Division191501[c]0251
KA1996[29]1. deild karla1513000181
KA1997[30]1. deild karla502171
ÍA1998[31]Úrvalsdeild102002[d]0122
Hereford United1998–99[32]Conference1010
KA1999[33]1. deild karla1430000143
Stevenage Borough1999-00[34]Conference2221[e]0232
KA2000[35]1. deild karla163210000184
Stevenage Borough2000–01[34]Conference294204[e]0354
KA2001[36]1. deild karla182500000232
2002[37]Úrvalsdeild171308000281
2003[38]Úrvalsdeild16241502[f]03[g]2305
2004[39]Úrvalsdeild15050716[g]0331
Total66517120120921149
ÍA2005[40]Úrvalsdeild14230922[f]0284
2006[41]Úrvalsdeild9010621[d]0172
2007[42]Úrvalsdeild50103090
Total2825018430546
KA2008[43]1. deild karla21310404[g]1304
2009[44]1. deild karla21120512[g]0302
2010[45]1. deild karla18120503[g]1282
KA total192202833422018427429
ÍA2011[46]1. deild karla2011160272
2012[47]Úrvalsdeild1941060264
2013[48]Úrvalsdeild40003070
ÍA total819713345012614
ÍBV2014[49]Úrvalsdeild1640020184
Career total370424346967019450856

Honours

As a player

ÍA

KA

  • 1. deild karla second-place promotion: 2001[36]

As a manager

References