Gavin Peacock
Gavin Keith Peacock (born 18 November 1967) is an English former professional footballer and sports television pundit. As a player he was midfielder and striker from 1984 until 2002, notably playing in the Premier League for Newcastle United and Chelsea. He also played in the Football League for Queens Park Rangers, Gillingham, AFC Bournemouth and Charlton Athletic. He then worked in the media as a pundit, notably for BBC Sport, before in September 2008 he relocated to Canada to study theology with a view to becoming a Christian minister. Early life Peacock comes from a footballing family; his father Keith played for Charlton. Though Peacock followed Charlton Athletic as a child, he maintained a soft spot for Newcastle United. His father's side of the family are from North East England, they followed Newcastle United and Peacock in his youth owned Newcastle replica shirts; he also regularly visited South Shields on the Peacock family holidays. Peacock lived in Crayford in the London Borough of Bexley, and attended Bexley Grammar School in nearby Welling as a child. He played schoolboy international football for England. Playing career Peacock started his career at Queens Park Rangers, making 17 appearances in the First Division and scoring once before he moved to Third Division Gillingham in October 1987 in a move which was started by his father, Keith, Gillingham's manager. Peacock joined on loan initially, but signed permanently for £40,000 in December 1987. Shortly after joining, his father was sacked by the club but Gavin remained on as a player until after their relegation to the Fourth Division in 1989. He was named as the Kent side's Young Player of the Year award in his first season and then in the relegation season of 1988–89 his displays saw him recognised by the supporters who voted him as Player of the Year. He was signed by Harry Redknapp for AFC Bournemouth in a £250,000 deal on 16 August 1989, but was unable to prevent their relegation to the Third Division that season. He began the 1990–91 season still at Bournemouth, but on 30 November 1990 he made the move back to the Second Division when Jim Smith paid Bournemouth £275,000 to take Peacock to Newcastle United. Peacock himself was not the first in the family to be on the books of Newcastle, his father's cousin was at Newcastle United in the 1950s, though he did not make a first team debut. Peacock stated that his family lineage and connection to the North East was a big draw in him signing for Newcastle United when the opportunity came up with an offer from Jim Smith, the then manager of Newcastle. The Magpies were in the Second Division at the time and were founder members of the new Division One on the creation of the new FA Premier League in 1992, and in the 1992–93 season he helped them win the Division One title. He was Newcastle United's top scorer in 1991–92 with 16 goals and one of their