Swindon Player Profiles: Dan Kemp

Dan Kemp has played a major role in keeping Swindon in touch with the league leaders, so let's dive into his career and the player he has become.

Dan Kemp has been a stand-out star so far this season, his 13-goal contributions have him tied with teammate Jake Young for the most goal contributions in League Two. 

Early Career

Kemp started his career at Chelsea, where he played alongside Declan Rice and Mason Mount in a three-man midfield. Dan spent 10 years in the Chelsea Youth setup before moving to West Ham in 2015. 

His move to West Ham saw him climb the ranks making only seven appearances for West Ham U18s and contributing three goals and seven assists. He was moved up to the U21s where he would quickly become a favourite of manager Terry Westley. He would go on to play 73 games and contribute 22 goals as well as nine assists for the Hammers. 

During his time at West Ham, he would receive call-ups to the England U19 and U20 squads. 

In January 2020, Kemp would earn a loan move to Stevenage where he would get his first taste of first-team football. He would make only six appearances in his six months at the club but did manage to score his first senior goal in his first senior start against Exeter City before returning to West Ham. 

In the following summer, he would be sent on loan to Blackpool for a short time where he would make 15 appearances and have five goal contributions. In January, he would be recalled by West Ham and then sold to Leyton Orient on a permanent deal. 

(Kemp during his spell at Blackpool. Photo Credit - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Finding his feet in the Football League

Dan Kemp found himself in League Two at 22, he would need to find his feet at a new club. He had shown glimpses of his talent in his loan spells but the constant moving around meant he would need to make an impact at Leyton Orient. 

Orient manager Ross Embleton said he was “over the moon to have secured someone of his quality.” Kemp would make 24 appearances in his first six months at the club, scoring five goals and contributing three assists. 

His first full season at Leyton Orient saw him make 26 appearances in all competitions and by January 2022 he had five goals and assists. In the January transfer window, Kemp would be on the move again; this time to his current parent club, MK Dons, for an undisclosed fee on deadline day.

In joining MK Dons, Kemp was reunited with Liam Manning who was in charge at the time and had also coached Dan when he was in the West Ham setup. 

Loans Loans Loans

Kemp didn’t have the impact he would have wanted at MK Dons, to this day he has only made 16 appearances for the club and is yet to register a goal or assist. This poor start to life at MK Dons led to him once again being loaned out. On deadline day for the 2022 January transfer window he would secure a move to Hartlepool United.  

This loan move would prove to be exactly what Kemp needed to step up to the calibre of player we have enjoyed so far this season. Kemp called the loan move a ‘massive opportunity’ and he took it with both hands. 

(Kemp at Hartlepool. Photo Credit - NurPhoto via Getty Images)

During his spell at Hartlepool, he would be named EFL League Two Player of the Month after he scored five goals in six games. This spell would also give him his first career hat-trick when he scored three of Hartlepool's four goals against Grimsby in a 4-1 win. 

Eleven goal contributions in sixteen games set him up perfectly for his current loan move here at Swindon. 

Swindon so far

Kemp would return to MK Dons at the end of the 2022/23 season. He would then be loaned to Swindon where he has hit the ground at full sprint. As of writing, Kemp has eight goals and five assists for Swindon; he has already beaten his most prolific season and is just one goal behind his Hartlepool goal tally and we are only in October. 

To call Dan Kemp a success would be an understatement, he is integral to the attacking play that has seen Swindon dominate in front of goal and along with fellow loanee Jake Young, the pair have already netted 26 goal contributions in the league alone. 

If at the end of his loan there is any chance of making the deal permanent, hopefully the higher-ups at Swindon will jump at it. Kemp himself said he was the biggest advocate for the loan move, “...the interest came in from Swindon and I wanted to come here.”