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Lyndon Dykes

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Lyndon Dykes
Personal information
Full name Lyndon John Dykes[1]
Date of birth (1995-10-07) 7 October 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Birmingham City
Number 17
Youth career
Mudgeeraba
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013 Mudgeeraba 5 (5)
2014 Merrimac 16 (28)
2014–2015 Queen of the South 0 (0)
2015 Redlands United 15 (15)
2015 Gold Coast City 1 (1)
2016 Surfers Paradise Apollo 15 (17)
2016–2019 Queen of the South 100 (11)
2019–2020 Livingston 28 (11)
2019 → Queen of the South (loan) 14 (5)
2020–2024 Queens Park Rangers 156 (35)
2024– Birmingham City 13 (0)
International career‡
2020– Scotland 42 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:57, 5 December 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:04, 23 November 2024 (UTC)

Lyndon John Dykes (born 7 October 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL League One club Birmingham City. Born and raised in Australia to Scottish parents, he plays for the Scotland national team. Dykes previously played for Mudgeeraba, Merrimac, Redlands United and Surfers Paradise Apollo in Australia, for Queen of the South and Livingston in Scotland. and spent four years with English club Queens Park Rangers.

Personal life

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Dykes was born on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. He moved to Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, playing rugby league as a youth.[2] As a child, Dykes had a season pass to the Canberra Raiders and idolised captain Ruben Wiki at the time. In his youth, Dykes also played basketball, rugby union and Aussie Rules football.[3] After returning to Australia from a stint with Queen of the South Under-20s team, Dykes worked in a factory for sports company BLK.[4]

Dykes said of his background, "My parents are Scottish. They are from Dumfries. My dad is from just outside Dumfries, a small town called Moniaive."[5] His elder sister Hollie was a gold medal-winning gymnast for Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.[6] Dykes' son was born in Scotland.[7]

Club career

[edit]

Early career

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Dykes spent part of his younger years living and playing rugby league in Canberra where his family settled. Dykes attracted the interest of the Canberra Raiders after helping Gungahlin Bulls to a cup final win. The move never came about as Dykes suffered an injury and his family moved back to the Gold Coast.[2]

His uncle a former footballer, introduced him to association football as he moved back to the Gold Coast.[3] Dykes played youth football for Mudgeeraba before joining Merrimac. He then played in the 2015 National Premier Leagues Queensland with Redlands United and joined Gold Coast City FC the year after but soon departed to play that season for Surfers Paradise Apollo SC for one month.[8] Dykes was rejected by A-League sides such as Brisbane Roar when playing football in Australia.[2]

Queen of the South

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Dykes toured England with the Australian schoolboys, after which he visited relatives in Dumfries, the home town of his parents. He then returned to Dumfries to play for the Queen of the South Under-20s team.[8] He scored 22 goals in 14 competitive matches at this level before returning to Australia in January 2015.[9]

On 7 June 2016, Dykes returned to Scotland and signed for Queen of the South, who had Gavin Skelton as their manager at that time.[9] Dykes' senior competitive debut was representing Queen's when aged 20 in a 2–0 Scottish League Cup win versus Queen's Park at the Excelsior Stadium on 16 July. His first senior goal was on 9 August in the Queen's 3–1 League Cup win over Hibernian.[8]

On 7 December 2017, Dykes signed an extension to his contract that kept him at the club until 31 May 2019.[10] In three years in Dumfries, he played in 86 league matches, scoring 10 league goals and in 31 cup matches scoring nine cup goals for the Doonhamers. His best position for the Doonhamers was as a foil for Queens main striker Stephen Dobbie, especially when Dobbie scored 43 goals in the 2018–19 season, although he was also played on the wings.[8]

Livingston

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On 30 January 2019, Dykes secured a two-year contract to join Livingston, but the Doonhamers reached an agreement with the West Lothian club for him to return to Palmerston Park on loan until the end of the 2018-19 season.[11][12] Dykes was utilised as a central striker at the Lions. He scored on his senior competitive debut for the Lions in a 1–1 League Cup draw at Falkirk on 13 July. On 12 September, he extended his contract with the Lions for an additional season until May 2022. On 6 October, he scored the second goal in the 2–0 home league win versus Celtic. On 21 December, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win versus Ross County, the first time a Livingston player had done so in the top flight.[13]

On 16 August 2020, Livingston announced that a bid has been accepted from a Championship club for Dykes.[14] Three days later, it was announced that he joined Queens Park Rangers.[15] Dykes' transfer fee broke Livingston's club record previously held by the sale of David Fernandez to Celtic in 2002.[14] Queen of the South are due a six-figure fee as part of the deal, as a sell-on clause was included when Dykes was sold to Livingston, with the figure likely to surpass the club's £250,000 record fee received when Andy Thomson moved to Southend United in 1994.[16]

Queens Park Rangers

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On 19 August 2020, Dykes signed a four-year deal for English club Queens Park Rangers for a reported fee of £2m.[17] On 12 September, Dykes scored on his competitive debut for the club, scoring a penalty in the 54th minute, in a 2–0 win versus Nottingham Forest.[18] In April 2021, Dykes was named the club's Player of the Month after scoring six goals in six games most notably scoring a brace in a 4–1 win over Sheffield Wednesday on 10 April.[19] Dykes had finished the season as QPR's top scorer with 12 goals and 5 assists.[20]

On 16 October 2021, Dykes scored in the West London derby in Queens Park Rangers' 4–1 loss against Fulham in the Championship.[21]

In January 2023, Dykes was admitted to hospital with the club said to be "closely monitoring" the striker.[22] He spent eight days in hospital having been diagnosed with pneumonia following a CT scan on his lungs.[23]

On 26 June 2023, Dykes signed a new three-year contract with the club.[24]

Birmingham City

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Dykes signed for League One club Birmingham City on a three-year contract on 28 August 2024; the fee was undisclosed.[25]

International career

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Dykes played for Australia schoolboys prior to joining Queen of the South.[8] He was eligible to represent either Australia (where he was born) or Scotland.[7]

When playing with Livingston, Australia's assistant manager Rene Meulensteen came to watch Dykes play against Celtic in October 2019. The same week, Scotland manager Steve Clarke also contacted Dykes, who "went with my heart and my gut" and chose Scotland.[4] On 25 August 2020, Dykes was named in the Scotland squad for the first time for UEFA Nations League matches versus Israel and the Czech Republic.[26][27] He made had his international debut in a 1–1 draw with Israel on 4 September and then scored his first goal for Scotland a few days later in a 2–1 victory over the Czech Republic.[28][29] On 11 October, Dykes scored the winner in a Nations League match against Slovakia which ended 1–0 after steering home Stephen O'Donnell's low cross.[30]

On 19 May 2021, Dykes was named in Scotland's UEFA Euro 2020 squad after becoming the nation's first choice striker alongside Che Adams.[31] On 14 June, he played 79 minutes of Scotland's opening game which resulted in a 2–0 defeat to the Czech Republic.[32] On 18 June, he played the full 90 minutes in the fixture against England at Wembley Stadium which ended in a 0–0 draw.[33] On 22 June, he started in a 3–1 defeat to Croatia which ended Scotland's Euros campaign.[34]

On 4 September 2021, Dykes scored in the only goal against Moldova in a 2022 World Cup qualifier.[35] Three days later he scored a 30th-minute penalty in another 1–0 win for Scotland, this time away to Austria in the same competition.[36] The following month, Dykes scored in narrow wins over Israel and the Faroe Islands, becoming the first Scotland player to score in four consecutive matches since Colin Stein in 1969.[37]

In a UEFA Nations League match against Ukraine on 21 September 2022, Dykes came off the bench in the 77th minute to score a brace, in the 80th and 87th minutes respectively, to secure a 3–0 win for Scotland.[38]

Dykes helped Scotland qualify for UEFA Euro 2024, scoring the equaliser in a 2–1 away win against Norway in June 2023.[39] He was selected in a 28-man provisional squad for the Euro 2024 finals,[40] but he had to withdraw prior to the tournament after suffering an ankle injury in training.[41][42]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 4 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Queen of the South 2016–17[43] Scottish Championship 30 2 1 0 6 1 3[a] 1 40 4
2017–18[44] Scottish Championship 34 7 3 0 4 0 3[a] 1 44 8
2018–19[45] Scottish Championship 36 2 4 1 5 3 7[b] 4 52 10
Total 100 11 8 1 15 4 13 6 136 22
Livingston 2019–20[46] Scottish Premiership 25 9 2 1 6 2 — 33 12
2020–21[47] Scottish Premiership 3 2 — — — 3 2
Total 28 11 2 1 6 2 — 36 14
Queens Park Rangers 2020–21[47] Championship 42 12 1 0 0 0 — 43 12
2021–22[48] Championship 33 8 2 1 2 0 — 37 9
2022–23[49] Championship 39 8 1 0 0 0 — 40 8
2023–24[50] Championship 41 6 1 1 1 0 — 43 7
2024–25[51] Championship 1 1 — 1 0 — 2 1
Total 156 35 5 2 4 0 — 165 37
Birmingham City 2024–25[51] League One 13 0 1 1 — 1[c] 1 15 2
Career total 297 57 16 5 25 6 14 7 352 75
  1. ^ a b Appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup
  2. ^ Three appearances and two goals in Scottish Challenge Cup, four appearances and two goals in Scottish Premiership play-offs
  3. ^ Appearance in EFL Trophy

International

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As of match played 18 November 2024[52]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Scotland 2020 7 2
2021 13 4
2022 6 2
2023 9 1
2024 7 0
Total 42 9
Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dykes goal.
List of international goals scored by Lyndon Dykes
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 7 September 2020 Andrův stadion, Olomouc, Czech Republic  Czech Republic 1–1 2–1 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B
2 11 October 2020 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland  Slovakia 1–0 1–0 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B
3 4 September 2021 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland  Moldova 1–0 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 7 September 2021 Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria  Austria 1–0 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 9 October 2021 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland  Israel 2–2 3–2 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 12 October 2021 Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 1–0 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 21 September 2022 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland  Ukraine 2–0 3–0 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B
8 3–0
9 17 June 2023 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway  Norway 1–1 2–1 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "EFL – Squad List 2023/24: Queens Park Rangers – In Squad Players" (PDF). English Football League. p. 32. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Lyndon Dykes: QPR's rugby league talent turned Scotland football hero". BBC. 1 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b "The rugby league talent turned Scotland football hero". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b Brewin, Joe (17 June 2021). "Lyndon Dykes interview: "Don't let the accent fool you! My blood is Scottish"". FourFourTwo.com. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  5. ^ Lindsay, Matthew (8 October 2019). "Livingston's Australia-born striker Lyndon Dykes prepared to pledge his allegiance to Scotland". The National.
  6. ^ Lyndon Dykes: Livingston striker still silent on Scotland or Australia, BBC Sport, 25 July 2020
  7. ^ a b McGarry, Graeme (24 November 2019). "Lyndon Dykes says he is ready to commit to Scotland as tells Steve Clarke to come and get him". The National.
  8. ^ a b c d e "QosFC: Squad - Season 20/21". www.qosfc.com.
  9. ^ a b "Lyndon Dykes Signs On". Queen of the south F.C. 7 June 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Contract Extension For Lyndon". Queen of the South F.C. 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Lyndon Dykes". Queen of the South F.C. 30 January 2019. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019.
  12. ^ Carson, Callum (30 January 2019). "Lyndon Dykes says signing for Livingston was a 'no-brainer' after striker pens deal with Premiership club". West Lothian Courier. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  13. ^ Idessane, Kheredine (21 December 2019). "Livingston 4–0 Ross County". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Bid for Lyndon Dykes accepted". Livingston FC. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  15. ^ Black, Dave (19 August 2020). "Lyndon Dykes signs for Queens Park Rangers". Livingston FC. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  16. ^ "QosFC: Lyndon Dykes". www.qosfc.com.
  17. ^ "Lyndon Dykes: Queens Park Rangers sign Livingston striker". BBC Sport. 19 August 2020.
  18. ^ "QPR 2-0 Nottingham Forest". BBC. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Lyndon Dykes voted Player of the Month". QPR. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Player Profile: Striker Lyndon Dykes". QPR. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  21. ^ Rindl, Josef (16 October 2021). "Fulham 4–1 QPR". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Lyndon Dykes: QPR and Scotland striker admitted to hospital". BBC Sport. 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Lyndon Dykes: Scotland striker 'enjoying each moment' after 'scary' pneumonia". BBC Sport. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Dykes agrees new deal". www.qpr.co.uk. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Blues sign Lyndon Dykes!". Birmingham City F.C. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  26. ^ Lewis, Jane (25 August 2020). "Scotland: Steve Clarke selects Lyndon Dykes in Nations League squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  27. ^ "QosFC: Scotland Squad". www.qosfc.com.
  28. ^ "Scotland vs. Israel - 4 September 2020 - Soccerway". Soccerway.
  29. ^ "Scotland 1-1 Israel: Disappointment for Scots as Lyndon Dykes makes solid debut". EDinburgh News. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  30. ^ "Dykes bags Scotland winner and Kakay earns start". QPR. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  31. ^ "Dykes named in Scotland Euro 2020 squad". QPR. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  32. ^ "Euro R's: Dykes & Scotland lose tournament opener". QPR. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  33. ^ "Euro R's: Dykes stars for Scotland at Wembley". QPR. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  34. ^ "Euro R's: Dykes and Scotland exit EURO 2020". QPR. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  35. ^ Scotland 1–0 Moldova, Clive Lindsay, BBC Sport, 4 September 2021
  36. ^ Austria 0–1 Scotland, Martin Watt, BBC Sport, 7 September 2021
  37. ^ Faroe Islands 0-1 Scotland: Steve Clarke praises match-winner Lyndon Dykes, BBC Sport, 12 October 2021
  38. ^ "McGinn & Dykes earn Scotland vital win over Ukraine". BBC Sport.
  39. ^ "Norway 1-2 Scotland: Lyndon Dykes & Kenny McLean score late to earn dramatic win". BBC Sport. 17 June 2023.
  40. ^ "Steve Clarke names Provisional EURO 2024 Squad". Scottish Football Association. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  41. ^ "Scotland striker Dykes ruled out of Euro 2024". BBC Sport. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  42. ^ "Liam Cooper hopes injured Lyndon Dykes stays with Scotland in some capacity". STV News. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  43. ^ "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  44. ^ "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  45. ^ "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  46. ^ "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  47. ^ a b "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  48. ^ "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  49. ^ "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  50. ^ "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  51. ^ a b "Games played by Lyndon Dykes in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  52. ^ Lyndon Dykes at the Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
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