John Paul Kissock (born 2 December 1989) is an English association footballer who last appeared as player-assistant manager at Whitehawk. He plays as a midfielder.
Born in the north Liverpool suburb of Fazakerley, Kissock joined Premier League club Everton's youth system aged seven; progressing quickly, he began playing for England's under-16 team in November 2004, aged only 14. He appeared for England's under-18 side in September 2006, aged 16, and signed professionally for Everton on 12 December 2006. He became a regular player for the club's under-18 and reserve teams and was an unused substitute for the first team on numerous occasions. Following loan spells at Scottish Premier League club Gretna – for whom he made his professional debut on 9 February 2008 – and English fourth-tier side Accrington Stanley the following year, he was released by Everton at the end of the 2008–09 season.
Kissock briefly returned to Scotland at the start of the next season, joining Hamilton Academical in August 2009 but was let go by the club after three appearances in four months. He trialled at various English Football League clubs during the 2010–11 pre-season but failed to win a contract, leading him to begin the season playing for amateur side Newton in the eleventh-tier West Cheshire League. He transferred to ninth-level Formby in October 2010 and only two months after that moved up another four levels when he signed for Southport of the Conference Premier, having impressed the club's manager, Liam Watson. Kissock performed well for Southport during the second half of 2010–11, and after playing four matches in the 2011–12 season signed for Luton Town on 26 August 2011.
Career
Early career
Born in Fazakerley, Liverpool, Kissock played for youth side Key Ways from the age of six and joined the academy of Premier League club Everton, his favourite team, a year later. At Key Ways he had played alongside Lee Molyneux, who joined Kissock in Everton's youth system in 2000, and Charlie Barnett, later an apprentice with Liverpool. While studying at Archbishop Beck High School, Kissock was first picked for the England under-16 team in November 2004, when he was aged 14, for a match against the under-16s' Scottish counterparts. He played for England under-16s three more times during 2005 and in April that year was voted Liverpool Young Sports Personality of the Year.
Over the following year Kissock became a regular player for Everton's under-18 and reserve sides. In the process he broke Wayne Rooney's record as the youngest ever player to play for Everton's reserve team and played for the England under-18 team against France in September 2006. He was called up to the first team for a UEFA Cup game against AZ in December 2007 but failed to make the final match day squad. During the 2007–08 season he joined the first-team squad for twelve Premier League games, but did not play. In January 2008 he joined Scottish Premier League club Gretna on loan until the end of the season, and it was for them that he made his professional debut in Gretna's 2–0 away defeat against Heart of Midlothian on 9 February 2008. He finished the season with 11 league appearances.
After returning to Everton, he appeared on the substitutes' bench regularly during the first half of the 2008–09 season, and was once again sent on loan in January 2009, this time for a month-long spell at English League Two club Accrington Stanley, where he made five appearances. After his release from Everton at the end of the season, Kissock returned to Scotland on 14 August 2009, when he signed for Scottish Premier League club Hamilton Academical. After joining Hamilton, Kissock says his departure from Everton left him in tears, having support Everton and spending twelve at the club and that Hamilton saved his football career However, only four months and three matches for Hamilton, he was released on 3 December 2009.