Dean Christopher Holdsworth (born 8 November 1968) is an English former professional football player and manager who is the technical director at National League North club Kidderminster Harriers.

He started his career at Watford, who finished ninth in the First Division in 1986–87 under Graham Taylor's stewardship, before suffering relegation in 1987–88 under Dave Bassett and then Steve Harrison.

[4] He was to prove himself as a prolific goalscorer for the "Bees", as the club moved from 13th in 1989–90 to the play-offs in 1990–91, before Holdsworth scored 38 goals in the Third Division championship winning season of 1991–92, in a fruitful partnership with Gary Blissett.

During his time at Selhurst Park, eccentric club chairman Sam Hammam promised to buy Holdsworth a Ferrari sports car and even a camel if he managed to score 20 league goals in a season.

[12] The "Trotters" reached the play-off final, and beat Preston North End 3–0 at the Millennium Stadium to regain their top-flight status.

However, he failed to find the net in his eleven league games and moved on to Brian Talbot's Rushden & Diamonds on a non-contract basis in March.

[4] Holdsworth joined Newport County on a short-term contract in February 2007 and was released by manager Peter Beadle at the end of the 2006–07 season,[22] after playing in the 2007 FAW Premier Cup final defeat to The New Saints.

[24] His signings included Craig Reid, Danny Rose, Paul Bignot, Jamie Collins, Charlie Henry, Sam Foley and Gary Warren.

In September 2009 Holdsworth was again named the Conference South Manager of the Month[citation needed] after Newport County started the 2009–10 season with a run of 13 league matches unbeaten.

[33] Holdsworth wasted no time making his mark on the team, bringing in forwards Peter Vincenti,[34] Tim Sills,[35] and Alex Rodman[36] – as well as defender Simon Grand on loan from Fleetwood[37] – before the end of the month.

There were also players leaving the club during this period of transition, with both Glen Little[36] and Wesley Ngo Baheng[38] being released, whilst Anthony Straker[39] and Damian Spencer[40] were sent out on loan.

[42] He continued attempting to strengthen the squad throughout February, with loan signings Albert Jarrett[43] and Luke Medley[44] from Lincoln and Mansfield, respectively, though neither had a large impact on the team with only a handful of appearances between them.

[45] On the pitch, Aldershot went on a run of five consecutive draws, the first away to league leaders Chesterfield who required a late equaliser to rescue a point.

[47] Though the club could only draw in their final game of the month at home to Accrington Stanley, Aldershot were left only seven points behind seventh-placed Rotherham United.

[50] At the end of the campaign Aldershot posted a comfortable mid-table finish, and Holdsworth handed out contracts to young players Adam Mekki, Doug Bergqvist and Henrik Breimyr.

[51] He also released nine players in Ben Harding, John Halls, Marvin Morgan, Damian Spencer, Tim Sills, Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz, Wade Small, Clayton Fortune, and Jack Randall.

[52][53][54] He assembled a number of free signings to replenish his squad: strikers Bradley Bubb and Michael Rankine; midfielders Anthony Pulis and Graeme Montgomery; defenders Aaron Brown and Jamie Collins; and goalkeeper Ross Worner.

[55][56][57][58][59] He also brought in a total of eight loanees in the first half of the season: Jake Taylor,[60] Jordan Brown,[61] Bruno Andrade,[62] Adam Smith,[63] Scott Davies,[64] Jamie Day,[65] Greg Pearson and Charlie Henry.

[66] His team proved to be inconsistent, though they did reach the Fourth Round of the League Cup, where they were beaten 3–0 by a Manchester United side that included Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, and Antonio Valencia.

[67] In the January transfer window he released Graeme Montgomery and Anthony Pulis,[68][69] whilst making four new loan signings in defenders Troy Brown and Sonny Bradley,[70] midfielder Josh Payne,[71] and striker Charlie Collins.

[72] He also recruited defender Chris Doig,[73] and attempted to bolster his side's poor goalscoring record by paying a five figure fee for Cameroonian striker Guy Madjo.

[79] To make room for these signings he offloaded Jermaine McGlashan,[80] Jamie Collins,[81] Luke Guttridge,[82] Chris Doig and Aaron Brown.

[86] Over the summer he signed goalkeeper Glenn Morris,[87] defenders Olly Lancashire and Guy Branston,[88][89] and midfielders Craig Stanley and Harry Cooksley.

[105] On 19 May 2022, Holdsworth was appointed manager of Stratford Town of the Southern League Premier Central, where the chairman noted that he had "a lot of managerial experience on budget constraints".

[108] In March 2016, Holdsworth led a consortium to purchase Bolton Wanderers, who were lying at the bottom of the Championship table and heading for administration, and upon completion of the takeover appointed himself as chief executive.

[115] Holdsworth was involved in tabloid scandal in 1996 when he had a highly publicised extramarital affair with topless model Linsey Dawn McKenzie, who was then aged 17.