Darren Gough

Darren Gough is a retired international cricketer he played for English county sides, Yorkshire and Essex. Renowned as a legend throughout Yorkshire, Gough also enjoyed an extremely successful international career for England, he is ranked number nine on England’s all-time leading wicket-takers in test cricket. A fast bowler, Gough is known for his fiery attitude and style of play, he took a total of 229 test match wickets and 235 one day international wickets for England. A regular player for England, Yorkshire and Essex, Gough ended his 19 year career with 1,917 wickets to his name.

Since retiring, Gough has become a popular cricket speaker due to his strong personality and his passion and knowledge for sport as a whole. Gough now appears on talkSPORT where he co-presents the drivetime show with Adrian Durham, this has allowed him to gain valuable presenting and people skills in which he demonstrates through his time as an after dinner speaker.

Gough’s career started successfully for Yorkshire and he was taking wickets at will, his hard work and success on the pitch saw him receive a call up to the England squad in 1994. He made his debut and in true Gough style, burst onto the scene; he took four wickets in the first innings before scoring 65 runs on test debut. His debut performance perfectly encapsulates Gough as a person, a courageous performance from a player who excelled under pressure and enjoyed big game moments.

One of the most memorable moments in Gough’s cricketing career was when he took the 23rd hat-trick in test cricket against Australia in 1999, a feat achieved by so few. He played a vital role in many test series, and in particular The Ashes series, Gough was a wonderful player who’s personality and spirit was loved by so many. Gough’s magnificent career came to an end in 2008 when he decided to retire from playing cricket, his career in the media since retiring shows how well respected and highly regarded he is as both a sportsman, person and presenter.

As a cricket speaker, Gough often discusses his legendary career and the legacy he built within domestic and international cricket. He also delves into many crucial topics such as target setting, maximising success and the importance of teamwork and leadership. With fantastic people skills and presenting skills, Darren Gough is the ideal after dinner speaker for any type of occasion.