Chris Killen

Chris Killen
Chris Killen playing for Middlesbrough
Personal information
Full name Christopher John Killen[1]
Date of birth (1981-10-08) 8 October 1981 (age 43)[2]
Place of birth Wellington, New Zealand[2]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Rongotai College
1995–1998 Miramar Rangers
1998–1999 Manchester City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2002 Manchester City 3 (0)
2000Wrexham (loan) 12 (3)
2001Port Vale (loan) 9 (6)
2002–2006 Oldham Athletic 78 (17)
2006–2007 Hibernian 25 (16)
2007–2010 Celtic 26 (2)
2009Norwich City (loan) 4 (0)
2010 Middlesbrough 17 (3)
2010–2011 Shenzhen Ruby 35 (17)
2012–2013 Chongqing 46 (23)
Total 255 (87)
International career
New Zealand U20 4 (2)
2008 New Zealand Olympic (O.P.) 5 (1)
2001–2013 New Zealand[3][4] 48 (16)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christopher John Killen (born 8 October 1981) is a former New Zealand international footballer. Killen grew up in Wellington and played club football for Miramar Rangers. After a trial with Manchester City, he joined City's youth academy. His first senior club appearances came during a loan spell at Wrexham in September 2000, and the following season he was loaned to Port Vale. Killen joined Oldham Athletic in July 2002 for £250,000, but failed to match his price tag because of persistent injury, and was eventually released on a free transfer.

In January 2006, Killen joined Hibernian and scored 11 goals in the early part of the 2006–07 season, but a ruptured Achilles tendon prematurely ended his season in January. Killen's contract with Hibernian expired in the summer of 2007, and, after using the Easter Road club's facilities to regain fitness, he then signed for Celtic on a three-year contract, but found first-team opportunities hard to come by, and was loaned to Norwich City during the 2008–09 season. Killen rejoined his former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan at Middlesbrough in January 2010. Seven months later, he moved to China to play for Shenzhen Ruby. He switched clubs to Chongqing in February 2012.

Killen made his international debut for New Zealand during the 2000 OFC Nations Cup, and was included in the New Zealand U23 squad for their appearance at the 2008 Summer Olympics as one of three over-age players. He was also named as part of the New Zealand squad for the 2002 OFC Nations Cup, 2003 and 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

  1. ^ "Chris Killen". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "FootballSquads - Port Vale - 2001/02". www.footballsquads.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  3. ^ "A-International Appearances – Overall". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  4. ^ "A-International Scorers – Overall". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.