{{Short description|English footballer}} {{Use British English|date=May 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Stephen Hoyle | image = | image_size = | caption = | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1992|11|6}} | birth_place = Barnsley, England | height = | position = Forward | currentclub = Cooks Hill United<br/>Newcastle Jets (women) (head coach) | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Barnsley | youthyears2 = 2009–2011 | youthclubs2 = Doncaster Rovers | years1 = 2012 | clubs1 = Napier City Rovers | caps1 = 20 | goals1 = 11 | years2 = 2012–2013 | clubs2 = Hawke's Bay United | caps2 = 16 | goals2 = 4 | years3 = 2013 | clubs3 = Toronto Lynx | caps3 = 5 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2014 | clubs4 = South Adelaide Panthers | caps4 = 25 | goals4 = 3 | years5 = 2015 | clubs5 = Napier City Rovers | caps5 = 20 | goals5 = 16 | years6 = 2015–2016 | clubs6 = WaiBOP United | caps6 = 14 | goals6 = 10 | years7 = 2016–2018 | clubs7 = Canterbury United | caps7 = 52 | goals7 = 26 | years8 = 2019 | clubs8 = Valour FC | caps8 = 6 | goals8 = 1 | years9 = 2019–2023 | clubs9 = Eastern Suburbs | caps9 = 61 | goals9 = 10 | years10 = 2024–2025 | clubs10 = Napier City Rovers | caps10 = 32 | goals10 = 9 | years11 = 2026– | clubs11 = Cooks Hill United | caps11 = 5 | goals11 = 1 | manageryears1 = 2025– | managerclubs1 = Newcastle Jets (women) | club-update = }}
'''Stephen Hoyle''' (born 6 November 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Cooks Hill United. He is also head coach of A-League Women club Newcastle Jets.
Hoyle has played in four different confederations, at clubs in England and Scotland in Europe, New Zealand in Oceania, Australia in Asia, and Canada in North America.
==Club career== ===Early career=== As a youngster, Hoyle trained at England's FA Academy and with his hometown club Barnsley. He also spent time with the Doncaster Rovers youth side and at the University of Stirling in Scotland. He was converted from a defender to a midfielder during his earlier career.<ref name="CBC">{{cite web |title=Winnipeg's Valour FC makes English striker Stephen Hoyle its 1st international signing |publisher=Canadian Press |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/valour-fc-stephen-hoyle-signing-1.4942053 |author=Neil Davidson |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=1 May 2019}}</ref>
Hoyle's first stint abroad was in New Zealand with Napier City Rovers and Hawke's Bay United, where he scored a goal in the New Zealand Football Championship playoffs. He then joined Canadian side Toronto Lynx in the Premier Development League, effectively an American fourth division, in 2013. He appeared in five matches for the club, tallying two assists without scoring,<ref name="Soccerstats.us Profile">{{cite web |title=Soccerstats.us Profile |url=http://soccerstats.us/bios/stephen-hoyle/ |publisher=Soccerstats.us |accessdate=2 May 2019}}</ref> and underwent a trial with Toronto FC under then-manager Ryan Nelsen, a New Zealander.<ref name="CBC"/>
===Return to New Zealand=== Hoyle returned to New Zealand and became a striker at the start of the 2015-16 season with WaiBOP United. He ranked among the top 10 goalscorers in the Premiership for four straight seasons from 2015 to 2019, and was Canterbury United's top scorer in the 2017–18 and 2018-19 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Success Celebrated with a Heavy Heart |url=https://www.wearecanterbury.co.nz/celebrating-with-a-heavy-heart/ |publisher=We Are Canterbury |date=4 April 2019 |accessdate=2 May 2019}}</ref>
===Valour FC=== Hoyle signed for Winnipeg side Valour FC in the newly launched Canadian Premier League ahead of the 2019 season.<ref name="winnipeg">{{cite web |title=From Christchurch to Canada: 'History'-seeking Stephen Hoyle joins Valour FC |publisher=Canadian Premier League |url=https://canpl.ca/video/valour-fc-signs-english-striker-stephen-hoyle-from-canterbury-united |author=Ed Tait |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=1 May 2019}}</ref> He was the second signing in club history and the first international signing for head coach Rob Gale.<ref name="settling">{{cite web |title=Footballer excited to be in Canada |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/soccer/footballer-excited-to-be-in-canada-508674352.html |author=Taylor Allen |publisher=Winnipeg Free Press |date=16 April 2019 |accessdate=1 May 2019}}</ref> He scored the first ever goal for the club in its first competitive game, a 2–1 win away to Pacific FC at Westhills Stadium in Langford, BC on 1 May 2019, before being substituted in the second half.<ref name="monumental first win">{{cite web |title=HIGHLIGHTS: Hoyle, Carreiro efforts lift Valour to monumental first win |url=http://old.uslsoccer.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=32800&ATCLID=209872499 |publisher=Canadian Premier League |accessdate=2 May 2019}}</ref> He left Valour by mutual consent on 9 July 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/valour-fc-release-forward-stephen-hoyle|title=Valour FC Release Forward Stephen Hoyle|date=July 9, 2019}}</ref><ref name="SW">{{cite web |title=S. Hoyle |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/stephen-hoyle/276987/ |publisher=Soccerway |accessdate=9 July 2019}}</ref>
===Eastern Suburbs=== Hoyle returned to New Zealand ahead of the 2019–20 NZ Premiership season and signed with defending champions Eastern Suburbs.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Jeff Cheshire |title=Auckland City starts favourite |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/football/auckland-city-starts-favourite |publisher=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=6 November 2019 |date=2 November 2019}}</ref>
===Cooks Hill United=== In February 2026, Hoyle returned to Australia, joining National Premier Leagues Northern NSW club Cooks Hill United.<ref> {{cite instagram|postid=DUh0X0JgXv5|title=Cooks Hill United FC is delighted to welcome Nick Curran from Edgeworth and Stephen Hoyle from New Zealand to the club for the upcoming season! 🖌 @tpvisuals #FireInTheHole|user=cookshillunitedfc|author-link=Cooks Hill United FC|date=9 February 2026|accessdate=20 February 2026}}</ref>
==Coaching career== In June 2025, Hoyle was appointed head coach of A-League Women club Newcastle Jets on a two-season deal.<ref> {{cite web|url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/stephen-hoyle-newcastle-jets-head-coach-aleague-women-news-two-season-deal/|title=Newcastle Jets appoint new head coach with ‘impressive vision’ on multi-year deal|website=aleagues.com.au|last=Comito|first=Matt|date=3 June 2025|accessdate=20 February 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== His younger brother James plays as a defender for New Zealand side Hamilton Wanderers.<ref name="winnipeg"/> The brothers were teammates at Napier City Rovers<ref>{{cite web |title=English striker Stephen Hoyle hoping to make impact for Canterbury United |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/82763896/english-striker-stephen-hoyle-hoping-to-make-impact-for-canterbury-united |author=Brendon Egan |publisher=Stuff |date=3 August 2016 |accessdate=1 May 2019}}</ref> and WaiBOP United.
==Honours== ===Club=== '''Napier City Rovers''' *Central Premier League: 2012 & 2015<ref>{{cite web |title=Football: Brothers build on Barnsley connection |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11442031 |author=Anendra Singh |publisher=Hawke's Bay Today |date=2 May 2015 |accessdate=2 May 2019}}</ref>
===Individual=== '''WaiBOP United''' *Fans' Player of the Year: 2015-16<ref>{{cite web |title=Hilliar double win leads player awards |publisher=waibopunited.co.nz |url=http://www.waibopunited.co.nz/hilliar-double-win-leads-player-awards/ |author=DarelNix |date=18 March 2016 |accessdate=1 May 2019}}</ref>
'''Nomads United''' *Mainland Football Mens Striker of the Year: 2018<ref name=2018Awards>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mainlandfootball.co.nz/asset/downloadasset?id=071af501-1ad1-49cd-b681-42f9524b662f |title=ANNUAL REPORT 2018 |access-date=14 March 2025}}</ref> *Mainland Football Mens Player of the Year: 2018<ref name=2018Awards /><ref>{{cite web |title=Valour FC goes down under to add British striker Stephen Hoyle |publisher=Global News |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4750522/valour-fc-goes-down-under-to-add-british-striker-stephen-hoyle/ |author=Kelly Moore |date=11 December 2018 |accessdate=2 May 2019}}</ref> *Mainland Football Mens Golden Boot: 2018<ref name=2018Awards />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerway|stephen-hoyle/276987}}
{{Newcastle Jets FC (women) squad}} {{A-League Women head coaches}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoyle, Stephen}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Men's association football forwards Category:English men's footballers Category:Footballers from Barnsley Category:English expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's association footballers in New Zealand Category:English expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Canada Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Australia Category:Napier City Rovers FC players Category:Hawke's Bay United FC players Category:Toronto Lynx players Category:WaiBOP United players Category:Canterbury United Dragons players Category:Valour FC players Category:Eastern Suburbs AFC players Category:Northern Premier League players Category:New Zealand Football Championship players Category:USL League Two players Category:National Premier Leagues players Category:Canadian Premier League players Category:English football managers Category:A-League Women managers Category:21st-century English sportsmen