# Chris Sutton
**Chris Sutton** (born 1973 in [Nottingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/nottingham)) is an English former footballer, a striker and occasional center-half who won the 1994-95 Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers and later played for Celtic, and who is now a [BBC Sport](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-sport) pundit and commentator.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) • [2](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/who-are-the-bbc-pundits-presenters-and-commentators-for-japan-vs-sweden)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973, Nottingham; height 1.91 m; listed as defender/forward[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) |
| Record transfer | Norwich City to Blackburn Rovers, 13 July 1994, £5 million, making him the most expensive player in English football at the time[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) • [3](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/20732/chris-sutton) |
| 1994-95 title | Formed the "SAS" partnership with Alan Shearer; the duo scored 49 Premier League goals as Blackburn won the title[4](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/its-nearly-50-years-weve-been-in-liverpool-now-weve-always-been-made-to-feel-welcome-kenny-dalglish-on-his-remarkable-career) |
| Celtic years | Signed by Martin O'Neill from Chelsea for £6 million on 11 July 2000; Celtic won a domestic treble in 2000-01[3](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/20732/chris-sutton) • [1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) |
| England career | One full cap, as a substitute in a 2-0 friendly win over Cameroon on 15 November 1997[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) |
| Retirement | Announced in July 2007 due to an eye injury, after spells at Birmingham City and Aston Villa[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) |
| Later career | Managed Lincoln City from 2009 to 2010; now a BBC Sport pundit, columnist and co-commentator[5](https://drewfamily.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Index-people-1.pdf) • [2](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/who-are-the-bbc-pundits-presenters-and-commentators-for-japan-vs-sweden) |
## Norwich City
Sutton joined Norwich City as a trainee in July 1990 and turned professional in 1991.[6](https://www.celticnewsnow.com/data/chris-sutton/) • [7](https://www.cottontown.org/Culture%20and%20Leisure/Sport/Documents/11.%20%20ROVERS%20PLAYERS%20DURING%20THE%201990S.pdf) He began as a center-half before manager Dave Stringer converted him into a striker, and he proved adept in both roles.[8](https://www.thecelticwiki.com/sutton-chris/) • [1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) His father, Mike Sutton, had also played for Norwich.[5](https://drewfamily.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Index-people-1.pdf)
His best Norwich season was 1993-94, when he played 41 Premier League games and scored 25 goals.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) Across his three seasons in the first team he played 102 league games for the club and scored 35 goals.[5](https://drewfamily.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Index-people-1.pdf)
## Blackburn Rovers and the title
[Kenny Dalglish](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenny-dalglish) signed Sutton for Blackburn Rovers for £5 million in July 1994, a fee that made him the most expensive player in English football and broke the British transfer record for a second time in successive summers.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) • [4](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/its-nearly-50-years-weve-been-in-liverpool-now-weve-always-been-made-to-feel-welcome-kenny-dalglish-on-his-remarkable-career) Partnered with [Alan Shearer](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-shearer), he formed the strike partnership known as "SAS"; the two scored 49 Premier League goals in 1994-95 and put [Blackburn](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackburn) in control of the title race going into the final day. Blackburn lost 2-1 at Liverpool at Anfield but still took the championship when Manchester United failed to win at West Ham.[4](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/its-nearly-50-years-weve-been-in-liverpool-now-weve-always-been-made-to-feel-welcome-kenny-dalglish-on-his-remarkable-career)
Sutton's own league return that season was 15 goals in 40 appearances.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) He stayed at Blackburn until July 1999, with his later seasons there including 18 league goals in 1997-98 and only 3 in a relegation-affected 1998-99.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/)
## Chelsea and Celtic
Blackburn sold Sutton to Chelsea for £10 million on 5 July 1999, and his single season there was a disappointment: one goal in 21 Premier League appearances.[3](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/20732/chris-sutton) • [1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/)
In July 2000 [Martin O'Neill](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-oneill) made Sutton his first signing as Celtic manager, paying £6 million.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) • [3](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/20732/chris-sutton) The fee proved a sound investment: Celtic won a domestic treble, the league, [Scottish Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/scottish-cup), and [Scottish League Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/scottish-league-cup), in 2000-01, and Sutton scored 11 league goals that season.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) He scored the fastest goal in Celtic v Rangers history, 20 seconds into a game.[8](https://www.thecelticwiki.com/sutton-chris/)
He remained at Celtic until January 2006, finishing with more than 100 league games for the club.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) • [5](https://drewfamily.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Index-people-1.pdf)
## Final seasons and retirement
Sutton joined Birmingham City on 5 January 2006 on a contract to the end of the season, then followed O'Neill to Aston Villa in October 2006 on a deal to June 2007.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) He announced his retirement in July 2007 because of an eye injury.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/)
## England
Sutton's senior international career amounted to one cap, as a substitute in England's 2-0 friendly win over Cameroon on 15 November 1997.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) He had earlier appeared for England Under-21 sides and in B internationals between 1992 and 1994.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/)
## Playing style
Heading was the defining weapon of Sutton's 16-year top-flight career, and he attributed his aerial skill to his teenage years as a center-back in the Norwich youth team and reserves, a role he occasionally reprised later.[9](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/chris-sutton-headed-goals-stats-art-of-football-series-a9283126.html) His 1.91 m frame and dual background as defender and forward made him a target-man striker of the kind that has since become rare; he has argued that there is still a place for twin strikers in the modern game.[1](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/) • [10](https://www.offtheball.com/index.php/soccer/chris-sutton-striker-firmino-891317)
## Management and media career
Sutton managed Lincoln City from 2009 to 2010.[5](https://drewfamily.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Index-people-1.pdf) He then became a broadcaster, lending what one profile calls a sardonic style to [Sky Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-sports), BBC Radio 5 Live, and BBC Sport television coverage.[11](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/who-are-the-bbc-commentators-pundits-and-presenters-for-iran-vs-new-zealand) As BBC Sport's football expert he has made predictions for all 380 Premier League games in a season, competing against AI, readers, and celebrity guests.[12](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cddg40qzqmjo) He served as a co-commentator and analyst in the BBC's coverage of the 2026 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup).[13](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/mediacentre/mediapacks/world-cup-2026)
## References
1. [Chris Sutton Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/chris-sutton-98/)
2. [Who are the BBC pundits, presenters and commentators for Japan vs Sweden?, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/who-are-the-bbc-pundits-presenters-and-commentators-for-japan-vs-sweden)
3. [Chris Sutton Player Profile, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/20732/chris-sutton)
4. [Kenny Dalglish on his remarkable career, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/its-nearly-50-years-weve-been-in-liverpool-now-weve-always-been-made-to-feel-welcome-kenny-dalglish-on-his-remarkable-career)
5. [Index of people: Chris Sutton, drewfamily.uk](https://drewfamily.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Index-people-1.pdf)
6. [Chris Sutton stats, profile and news, Celticnewsnow](https://www.celticnewsnow.com/data/chris-sutton/)
7. [Blackburn Rovers Players From 1880's to 1990's, cottontown.org](https://www.cottontown.org/Culture%20and%20Leisure/Sport/Documents/11.%20%20ROVERS%20PLAYERS%20DURING%20THE%201990S.pdf)
8. [Sutton, Chris, The Celtic Wiki](https://www.thecelticwiki.com/sutton-chris/)
9. [The fading art of headed goals: Chris Sutton on his greatest weapon, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/chris-sutton-headed-goals-stats-art-of-football-series-a9283126.html)
10. ["There is a place for twin strikers" - Chris Sutton, OffTheBall](https://www.offtheball.com/index.php/soccer/chris-sutton-striker-firmino-891317)
11. [Who are the BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for Iran vs New Zealand?, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/who-are-the-bbc-commentators-pundits-and-presenters-for-iran-vs-new-zealand)
12. [Premier League predictions: Chris Sutton v Andrew Cushin and AI, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cddg40qzqmjo)
13. [FIFA World Cup 2026 on the BBC, BBC Media Centre mirror](https://bbcinsight.pages.dev/mediacentre/mediapacks/world-cup-2026)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 1990–2004*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license