Charlie Kirk | |
Fullname: | Charlie David Kirk[1] |
Birth Date: | 24 December 1997[2] |
Birth Place: | Winsford, England |
Height: | [3] |
Position: | Winger |
Currentclub: | Tranmere Rovers |
Clubnumber: | 30 |
Youthyears1: | –2016 |
Youthclubs1: | Crewe Alexandra |
Years1: | 2016–2021 |
Clubs1: | Crewe Alexandra |
Caps1: | 181 |
Goals1: | 29 |
Years2: | 2021–2023 |
Clubs2: | Charlton Athletic |
Caps2: | 33 |
Goals2: | 3 |
Years3: | 2022 |
Clubs3: | → Blackpool (loan) |
Caps3: | 9 |
Goals3: | 0 |
Years4: | 2023 |
Clubs4: | → Burton Albion (loan) |
Caps4: | 14 |
Goals4: | 2 |
Years5: | 2024– |
Clubs5: | Crewe Alexandra |
Caps5: | 14 |
Goals5: | 0 |
Club-Update: | 16:17, 21 May 2024 (UTC) |
Charlie David Kirk (born 24 December 1997) is an English professional footballer who most recently played as a winger for Crewe Alexandra.
Kirk came through the Crewe Alexandra Academy, earning a call-up to the senior team whilst still a second year scholar.[4] He made his debut in the Football League on 16 February 2016, in a 2–2 draw with Rochdale at Spotland, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute for Callum Saunders.[5] He scored his first Crewe goal on 26 December 2017, the second in a 2–0 win at Chesterfield.[6]
In May 2018, after making 69 appearances and scoring five goals, Kirk signed a new three-year deal with Crewe through to summer 2021.[7] The following season, he scored 11 goals in 45 first-team appearances.
After helping Crewe win promotion to League One in 2020, scoring nine goals and providing more assists than any other League Two player, Kirk signed a new two-year deal with the club through to June 2022.[8] In September 2020, Kirk (along with Crewe team-mate Perry Ng) was named in the PFA League Two Team of the Year for the 2019–20 season.[9]
On 12 August 2021, Kirk was announced to have joined fellow League One side Charlton Athletic for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal;[10] Charlton had triggered a £500,000 release clause in his Crewe contract; Kirk later said: "I didn't just want to leave and for them [Crewe] not to get anything for me."[11]
He made his Charlton debut in the club's 2–1 defeat at Milton Keynes Dons on 17 August[12] and two games later played in the club's first win of the season, 2–0 against former club Crewe Alexandra, on 28 August 2021.[13]
Playing in all of Charlton's opening games of the 2022–23 season, Kirk scored his first Charlton goal in the fifth match, a 5–1 League One defeat of Plymouth Argyle at The Valley on 16 August 2022.[14] He later scored twice in Charlton's 3–3 League One draw at Burton Albion on 12 November 2022.[15]
On 20 December 2023, Kirk's contract with Charlton Athletic was cancelled by mutual consent.[16]
On 27 January 2022, Kirk joined Blackpool on loan for the rest of the 2021–22 season with a view to a permanent transfer.[17] He made his Blackpool debut on 5 February 2022, coming on as a second-half substitute for CJ Hamilton in a 3–1 victory over Bristol City at Bloomfield Road.[18]
On 31 January 2023, Kirk joined Burton Albion on loan for the rest of the 2022–23 season,[19] and made his debut as an 82nd minute substitute and scored the 96th minute winner in Burton's 3–2 win at Fleetwood Town on 4 February 2023.[20]
On 1 February 2024, Kirk returned to Crewe Alexandra on a deal until the end of the 2023–24 season,[21] [22] and made his second Crewe debut two days later, coming on as a 91st minute substitute in Crewe's goal-less draw at Tranmere Rovers.[23] Kirk was released by Crewe at the end of the 2023–24 season.[24]
Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
Crewe Alexandra | 2015–16 | League One | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
2016–17 | League Two | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
2017–18 | League Two | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 5 | ||
2018–19 | League Two | 42 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 11 | ||
2019–20 | League Two | 36 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 9 | ||
2020–21 | League One | 42 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 7 | ||
Total | 181 | 29 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 206 | 32 | |||
Charlton Athletic | 2021–22 | League One | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
2022–23 | League One | 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 3 | ||
2023–24 | League One | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | ||
Total | 33 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 48 | 4 | |||
Blackpool (loan) | 2021–22 | Championship | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
Burton Albion (loan) | 2022–23 | League One | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
Crewe Alexandra | 2023–24 | League Two | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
Career total | 251 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 293 | 38 |
Individual