David John Kevan (born 31 August 1968) is a Scottish football coach and former player.
A midfielder, he made his debut in the English Football League for Notts County in February 1986. He spent the next four years at the club, also enjoying a brief loan spell at Cardiff City. He signed with Stoke City in February 1990 and broke into the first-team in the 1991–92 season following a short loan spell at Maidstone United the previous season. He helped Stoke to win the Football League Trophy in 1992 and then the Second Division title in 1992–93, before he ended his career at Bournemouth in 1994. His career over by the age of 26, he made a total of 221 appearances in league and cup competitions, scoring six goals.
He remained in the game as a coach, serving Stoke City, Burnley, Notts County, Stockport County, Hereford United, Cheltenham Town, Forest Green Rovers, Port Vale and Hanley Town. He also had three spells as a caretaker manager, once at Stoke City in October 2002 and twice at Notts County in the 2009–10 season.
Playing career
Notts County
Kevan began his career with English Third Division club Notts County. He made his debut for the "Magpies" against Gillingham in February 1986, one of three appearances he made during the 1985–86 season under the stewardship of Jimmy Sirrel. He forced his way into the first-team at Meadow Lane in the 1986–87 season, making 38 appearances and scoring one goal. He played in 40 games in the 1987–88 campaign as Notts missed out on promotion by a single point under John Barnwell's tenure as manager. He played 24 times in 1988–89, but lost his place under new manager Neil Warnock in the 1989–90 campaign and spent a month on loan at league rivals Cardiff City, making seven appearances at Ninian Park.
Stoke City
In February 1990, Kevan joined Stoke City under the management of Alan Ball. His debut for Stoke was in the Potteries derby against Port Vale in a 0–0 draw at Vale Park on 3 February. Stoke were relegated out of the Second Division at the end of the 1989–90 season. He found himself out of the team in 1990–91, making eight appearances and spending time out on loan at Maidstone United in the Fourth Division. He failed to make much impact at Watling Street either, featuring just three times for the "Stones". New Stoke manager Lou Macari moved Kevan into defence in 1991–92 and he played in 57 matches, including in the 1992 Associate Members' Cup Final as City beat Stockport County 1–0 at Wembley. However this would be his final season as a key fixture in the first XI as the following campaign would prove to be very competitive for central midfield places with Paul Ware, Carl Beeston and Steve Foley all in contention.
He made only 16 appearances during the 1992–93 season as Stoke won promotion as champions of the Second Division, and scored one goal – the only goal of a 1–0 home win over Bradford City on 20 February. Reminiscing on the goal many years later he said that "It was late on in front of the Boothen End. I remember Mark Stein hit the bar and for whatever reason I was in the 18-yard box and put in the rebound. I don’t think anyone in the ground was more surprised than me". He played only one First Division game in the 1993–94 season and went on to end his player career with a single Second Division appearance as a Bournemouth player under the stewardship of rookie manager Tony Pulis. After leaving Dean Court he returned to the Victoria Ground to become a coach.