Kenny Sansom
| Date of birth | 26 September 1958 |
| Place of birth | Camberwell |
| Nationality | English |
| Weight | 73 kg |
| Height | 1.68 m |
| Position | Defender |
England's most capped left-back, Kenny Sansom arrived at Arsenal in August 1980 in the deal that took Clive Allen to Crystal Palace.
Although he had already won nine of his 86 caps, his game was still developing as he added positional awareness to his more obvious qualities of exceptional pace and accurate passing.
He led the Gunners to their League Cup Final success against Liverpool in 1987 – the club's first trophy for eight years.
The emergence of Nigel Winterburn hastened his departure to Newcastle United in 1988.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Palace | 01 Dec 1975 | 01 Aug 1980 | |
| Arsenal | 01 Aug 1980 | 01 Dec 1988 | |
| Newcastle United | 01 Dec 1988 | 01 Jun 1989 | |
| Queens Park Rangers | 01 Jun 1989 | 01 Mar 1991 | |
| Coventry City | 01 Mar 1991 | 01 Feb 1993 | |
| Everton | 01 Feb 1993 | 01 Mar 1993 | |
| Brentford | 01 Mar 1993 | 01 Aug 1994 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-81 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1980-81 | Arsenal | League Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1980-81 | Arsenal | League Division One | 42 | 3 |
|||
| 1981-82 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1981-82 | Arsenal | League Cup | 5 | ||||
| 1981-82 | Arsenal | League Division One | 42 | ||||
| 1981-82 | Arsenal | UEFA Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1982-83 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 8 | ||||
| 1982-83 | Arsenal | League Cup | 8 | ||||
| 1982-83 | Arsenal | League Division One | 40 | ||||
| 1982-83 | Arsenal | UEFA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1983-84 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1983-84 | Arsenal | League Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1983-84 | Arsenal | League Division One | 40 | 1 |
|||
| 1984-85 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1984-85 | Arsenal | League Cup | 3 | ||||
| 1984-85 | Arsenal | League Division One | 39 | 1 |
|||
| 1985-86 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 5 | ||||
| 1985-86 | Arsenal | League Cup | 7 | ||||
| 1985-86 | Arsenal | League Division One | 42 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Arsenal | League Cup | 9 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Arsenal | League Division One | 35 | ||||
| 1987-88 | Arsenal | FA Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1987-88 | Arsenal | League Cup | 8 | ||||
| 1987-88 | Arsenal | League Division One | 34 | 1 |
|||
| 1987-88 | Football League | Centenary | 1 | ||||
| 1988-89 | Newcastle United | FA Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1988-89 | Newcastle United | League Division One | 20 | ||||
| 1989-90 | Queens Park Rangers | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1989-90 | Queens Park Rangers | League Division One | 1 | ||||
| 1990-91 | Coventry City | League Division One | 9 | ||||
| 1991-92 | Coventry City | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1991-92 | Coventry City | League Division One | 21 | ||||
| 1992-93 | Coventry City | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1992-93 | Coventry City | Premier League | 21 | ||||
| 1992-93 | Everton | Premier League | 6 | 1 |
1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Mar 1991 | Coventry City v Manchester City | W | 3-1 | League Division One | |
| 30 Mar 1991 | Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City | D | 2-2 | League Division One | |
| 01 Apr 1991 | Coventry City v Chelsea | W | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 06 Apr 1991 | Norwich City v Coventry City | D | 2-2 | League Division One | |
| 09 Apr 1991 | Liverpool v Coventry City | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 13 Apr 1991 | Coventry City v Derby County | W | 3-0 | League Division One | |
| 20 Apr 1991 | Southampton v Coventry City | L | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 04 May 1991 | Coventry City v Sheffield United | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 11 May 1991 | Arsenal v Coventry City | L | 6-1 | League Division One | |
| 26 Dec 1991 | Sheffield United v Coventry City | W | 0-3 | League Division One | |
| 28 Dec 1991 | Wimbledon v Coventry City | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 01 Jan 1992 | Coventry City v Tottenham Hotspur | L | 1-2 | League Division One | |
| 04 Jan 1992 | Coventry City v Cambridge United | D | 1-1 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 11 Jan 1992 | Coventry City v Queens Park Rangers | D | 2-2 | League Division One | |
| 14 Jan 1992 | Cambridge United v Coventry City | L | 1-0 | FA Cup | 3rd round replay |
| 18 Jan 1992 | Manchester City v Coventry City | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 01 Feb 1992 | Crystal Palace v Coventry City | W | 0-1 | League Division One | |
| 08 Feb 1992 | Coventry City v Liverpool | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 22 Feb 1992 | Southampton v Coventry City | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 29 Feb 1992 | Coventry City v Manchester United | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 04 Mar 1992 | Coventry City v Norwich City | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 07 Mar 1992 | Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 11 Mar 1992 | Coventry City v Nottingham Forest | L | 0-2 | League Division One | |
| 14 Mar 1992 | Chelsea v Coventry City | W | 0-1 | League Division One | |
| 21 Mar 1992 | Coventry City v Oldham Athletic | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 28 Mar 1992 | Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City | L | 4-3 | League Division One | |
| 04 Apr 1992 | Coventry City v Arsenal | L | 0-1 | League Division One | |
| 08 Apr 1992 | Coventry City v Sheffield Wednesday | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 11 Apr 1992 | Notts County v Coventry City | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 18 Apr 1992 | Coventry City v Everton | L | 0-1 | League Division One | |
| 20 Apr 1992 | Leeds United v Coventry City | L | 2-0 | League Division One | |
| 25 Apr 1992 | Coventry City v West Ham United | W | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 15 Aug 1992 | Coventry City v Middlesbrough | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 19 Aug 1992 | Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 22 Aug 1992 | Wimbledon v Coventry City | W | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 26 Aug 1992 | Coventry City v Queens Park Rangers | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 29 Aug 1992 | Coventry City v Blackburn Rovers | L | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 02 Sep 1992 | Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City | W | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 05 Sep 1992 | Oldham Athletic v Coventry City | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 14 Sep 1992 | Coventry City v Tottenham Hotspur | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 21 Sep 1992 | Nottingham Forest v Coventry City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 23 Sep 1992 | Coventry City v Scarborough | W | 2-0 | League Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 26 Sep 1992 | Coventry City v Norwich City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Oct 1992 | Coventry City v Crystal Palace | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 07 Oct 1992 | Scarborough v Coventry City | L |
3-0 Agg: 3-2 |
League Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 17 Oct 1992 | Everton v Coventry City | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 24 Oct 1992 | Coventry City v Chelsea | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 31 Oct 1992 | Leeds United v Coventry City | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 07 Nov 1992 | Arsenal v Coventry City | L | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 21 Nov 1992 | Coventry City v Manchester City | L | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 12 Dec 1992 | Southampton v Coventry City | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 19 Dec 1992 | Coventry City v Liverpool | W | 5-1 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 1992 | Coventry City v Aston Villa | W | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Dec 1992 | Manchester United v Coventry City | L | 5-0 | Premier League | |
| 09 Jan 1993 | Coventry City v Nottingham Forest | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-77 | England | UEFA Under-18 | 5 | ||||
| 1978-79 | England | B International | 2 | ||||
| 1978-79 | England | British Home Championship | 1 | ||||
| 1978-79 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 2 | ||||
| 1978-79 | England | Under-21 | 2 | ||||
| 1979-80 | England | British Home Championship | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1979-80 | England | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1979-80 | England | UEFA European Championship | 4 | ||||
| 1979-80 | England | UEFA Under-21 | 4 | ||||
| 1980-81 | England | British Home Championship | 2 | ||||
| 1980-81 | England | FIFA World Cup | 5 | ||||
| 1980-81 | England | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1981-82 | England | British Home Championship | 3 | ||||
| 1981-82 | England | FIFA World Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1981-82 | England | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1982-83 | England | British Home Championship | 2 | ||||
| 1982-83 | England | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1982-83 | England | UEFA European Championship | 5 | ||||
| 1983-84 | England | British Home Championship | 1 | ||||
| 1983-84 | England | International Friendly | 5 | ||||
| 1983-84 | England | UEFA European Championship | 3 | ||||
| 1984-85 | England | City Tournament | 3 | ||||
| 1984-85 | England | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 1 |
|||
| 1984-85 | England | International Friendly | 4 | ||||
| 1985-86 | England | FIFA World Cup | 8 | ||||
| 1985-86 | England | International Friendly | 6 | ||||
| 1985-86 | England | Unofficial | 1 | ||||
| 1986-87 | England | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1986-87 | England | UEFA European Championship | 4 | ||||
| 1987-88 | England | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 1987-88 | England | Rous Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1987-88 | England | UEFA European Championship | 5 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Mar 1977 | England v Wales | W | 1-0 | UEFA U18 | Preliminary |
| 23 Mar 1977 | Wales v England | D | 1-1 | UEFA U18 | Preliminary |
| 19 May 1977 | Belgium v England | W | 0-1 | UEFA U18 | Group A |
| 21 May 1977 | England v Iceland | D | 0-0 | UEFA U18 | Group A |
| 23 May 1977 | England v Greece | D | 1-1 | UEFA U18 | Group A |
| 19 Sep 1978 | Denmark v England | W | 1-2 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 1 |
| 28 Nov 1978 | Czechoslovakia v England | W | 0-1 | B International | |
| 06 Feb 1979 | Wales v England | W | 0-1 | Under-21 | |
| 23 May 1979 | England v Wales | D | 0-0 | British Home Championship | |
| 05 Jun 1979 | Bulgaria v England | W | 1-3 | UEFA Under-21 | Group 1 |
| 09 Jun 1979 | Sweden v England | W | 1-2 | Under-21 | |
| 12 Jun 1979 | Austria v England | W | 0-1 | B INTER | |
| 22 Nov 1979 | England v Bulgaria | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 06 Feb 1980 | England v Republic of Ireland | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 12 Feb 1980 | England v Scotland | W | 2-1 | UEFA Under-21 | Quarter-final |
| 04 Mar 1980 | Scotland v England | D | 0-0 | UEFA Under-21 | Quarter-final |
| 16 Apr 1980 | England v East Germany | L | 1-2 | UEFA Under-21 | Semi-final |
| 23 Apr 1980 | East Germany v England | L | 1-0 | UEFA Under-21 | Semi-final |
| 13 May 1980 | England v Argentina | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 17 May 1980 | Wales v England | L | 4-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 20 May 1980 | England v Northern Ireland | D | 1-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 24 May 1980 | Scotland v England | W | 0-2 | British Home Championship | |
| 12 Jun 1980 | Belgium v England | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 15 Jun 1980 | Italy v England | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 10 Sep 1980 | England v Norway | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 15 Oct 1980 | Romania v England | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 19 Nov 1980 | England v Switzerland | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 25 Mar 1981 | England v Spain | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Apr 1981 | England v Romania | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 12 May 1981 | England v Brazil | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 20 May 1981 | England v Wales | D | 0-0 | British Home Championship | |
| 23 May 1981 | England v Scotland | L | 0-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 30 May 1981 | Switzerland v England | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 23 Feb 1982 | England v Northern Ireland | W | 4-0 | British Home Championship | |
| 27 Apr 1982 | Wales v England | W | 0-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 25 May 1982 | England v Netherlands | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 May 1982 | Scotland v England | W | 0-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 03 Jun 1982 | Finland v England | W | 1-4 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Jun 1982 | England v France | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group 4 |
| 20 Jun 1982 | Czechoslovakia v England | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group 4 |
| 29 Jun 1982 | England v Germany | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round group B |
| 05 Jul 1982 | Spain v England | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round group B |
| 22 Sep 1982 | Denmark v England | D | 2-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 13 Oct 1982 | England v West Germany | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Nov 1982 | Greece v England | W | 0-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 15 Dec 1982 | England v Luxembourg | W | 9-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 30 Mar 1983 | England v Greece | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 27 Apr 1983 | England v Hungary | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 28 May 1983 | Northern Ireland v England | D | 0-0 | British Home Championship | |
| 01 Jun 1983 | England v Scotland | W | 2-0 | British Home Championship | |
| 21 Sep 1983 | England v Denmark | L | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 12 Oct 1983 | Hungary v England | W | 0-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 16 Nov 1983 | Luxembourg v England | W | 0-4 | UEFA European Championship | Group 3 |
| 29 Feb 1984 | France v England | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 26 May 1984 | Scotland v England | D | 1-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 02 Jun 1984 | England v USSR | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Jun 1984 | Brazil v England | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Jun 1984 | Uruguay v England | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Jun 1984 | Chile v England | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Sep 1984 | England v East Germany | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Oct 1984 | England v Finland | W | 5-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 14 Nov 1984 | Turkey v England | W | 0-8 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 27 Feb 1985 | Northern Ireland v England | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 26 Mar 1985 | England v Republic of Ireland | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 01 May 1985 | Romania v England | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 22 May 1985 | Finland v England | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 25 May 1985 | Scotland v England | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 1985 | Italy v England | L | 2-1 | City Tournament | |
| 09 Jun 1985 | Mexico v England | L | 1-0 | City Tournament | |
| 12 Jun 1985 | England v Germany | W | 3-0 | City Tournament | |
| 16 Jun 1985 | USA v England | W | 0-5 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Sep 1985 | England v Romania | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 16 Oct 1985 | England v Turkey | W | 5-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 13 Nov 1985 | England v Northern Ireland | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 29 Jan 1986 | Egypt v England | W | 0-4 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Feb 1986 | Israel v England | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Mar 1986 | USSR v England | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Apr 1986 | England v Scotland | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 14 May 1986 | England v Korea Republic | W | 4-1 | UNOFFICIAL | |
| 17 May 1986 | England v Mexico | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 24 May 1986 | Canada v England | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 1986 | Portugal v England | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 06 Jun 1986 | England v Morocco | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 11 Jun 1986 | England v Poland | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 18 Jun 1986 | England v Paraguay | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 22 Jun 1986 | Argentina v England | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals quarter-final |
| 10 Sep 1986 | Sweden v England | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 15 Oct 1986 | England v Northern Ireland | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 12 Nov 1986 | England v Yugoslavia | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 18 Feb 1987 | Spain v England | W | 2-4 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Apr 1987 | Northern Ireland v England | W | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 29 Apr 1987 | Turkey v England | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 09 Sep 1987 | West Germany v England | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Oct 1987 | England v Turkey | W | 8-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 11 Nov 1987 | Yugoslavia v England | W | 1-4 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 23 Mar 1988 | England v Netherlands | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 21 May 1988 | England v Scotland | W | 1-0 | ROUS CUP | |
| 24 May 1988 | England v Colombia | D | 1-1 | Rous Cup | |
| 28 May 1988 | Switzerland v England | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Jun 1988 | England v Republic of Ireland | L | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 15 Jun 1988 | England v Netherlands | L | 1-3 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 18 Jun 1988 | England v USSR | L | 1-3 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.