Date / Year of birth: 18th December 1979

Position: Centre-back

Season of first appearance: 1997/98

Season of last appearance: 2001/02

Also played for: Dartford, Ramsgate, Maidstone United, Sittingbourne, Hythe Town and Faversham Town

Son of popular 1960's and 1970's Margate player Dai Yorath who played for Kent whilst at Chatham House school and progressed through Margate's youth ranks having started out in the Under-16's during the 1995/96 season.

Dean was part of the Under-18's side that won the Kent Youth League Cup in March 1997 and on 29.7.97 he made his first team debut aged 17 in a 3-1 win over Ramsgate at Hartsdown Park that secured the Link Music Cup. Although he wore the number 11 shirt Dean played as a centre-back and the Isle of Thanet Gazette reported that he was "outstanding in the heart of the defence" and felt Dean was "an extremely good prospect". He didn't feature in the first team again but played for the reserves throughout the 1997/98 campaign.

In the summer of 1998 Dean featured in some friendlies ahead of the 1998/99 campaign but he didn't play for the first team during the season proper although he was a fixture in the reserves.

Dean spent much of 1999/00 in the reserves too before making his first senior appearance for over two years aged 20 in a 3-2 home defeat against Folkestone in the Kent Senior Cup on 25.1.00. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "rarely looked troubled" in the heart of Margate's defence and Dean's display led to him starting the next two matches at right-back. The Thanet Times said he was "sure-footed and blocked everything in his path" in the first of them - a 1-0 win at Atherstone on 29.1.00 - and Dean's other game in the number two shirt was a 5-2 win at Fleet on 1.2.00. Despite his assured performances the strength of Margate's backline meant that Dean didn't feature again until he made a substitute appearance in a 2-0 win over Salisbury at Hartsdown Park on 24.4.00 and that was his last first team action of the season. He'd made a total of four appearances (one as sub) during the campaign.

Dean showed up well in Margate's pre-season friendlies in the summer of 2000 and manager Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Dean Yorath has done very well and has given us extra options". He made his first appearance of the new campaign as a substitute in a 0-0 draw at Halesowen on 26.8.00 and Dean was a regular on the bench after that. However he didn't play again until 30.9.00 when he wore the number five shirt as Margate lost 1-0 at home to Banstead in an FA Cup shock. In the few months that followed Dean made five more sporadic sub appearances and the Thanet Times said he "came on to perform well" in a 1-0 defeat at Tamworth on 9.12.00.

On New Year's Day 2001 Dean made his first start since September when he wore the number two shirt as Margate entertained Folkestone. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "played well in the unfamiliar position of wing-back" as Margate won 3-2. Dean's next start came in a 1-0 defeat at Baldock in a Southern League Cup tie on 23.1.01 and on 27.1.01 he played in midfield as Margate won 2-0 at Merthyr. The Thanet Times said he "settled in well". After missing the next two games Dean returned to the centre of Margate's defence for a 2-1 defeat at Dover in the Kent Senior Cup on 13.2.01 and he then enjoyed a good run in the side, starting each of the next six matches as a centre-back or right-back. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said Dean "enjoyed a very good performance" in a 3-0 win at Ilkeston on 20.2.01 and Chris Kinnear told the paper "Dean's done exceptionally well since coming into the side". The Thanet Times said he "again impressed at right wing-back" in a 1-0 win over Tamworth at Hartsdown Park on 24.2.01 and after a 1-0 home win over Halesowen on 3.3.01 Chris Kinnear told the Thanet Times "Dean Yorath was excellent...he's fitted into the team really well". The last game of his sequence of first team starts was a 4-0 win at Moor Green on 20.3.01 but Dean unfortunately picked up an ankle injury early on and had to go off. It turned out he'd damaged a bone and the injury ruled him out for several weeks. Margate had won the last six of Dean's seven match run in the side and the victories had all come in Southern League Premier Division games during which only one goal was conceded. He regained fitness shortly before the end of the campaign and was an unused sub several times before making an appearance from the bench in Margate's final game of the season - a 2-0 defeat at Burton on 5.5.01. By then Margate had already sealed the league title and promotion to the Conference and Dean had played his part in the triumph by making 19 appearances (eight as sub).

He started the 2001/02 campaign with a substitute appearance as Margate beat visitors Worcester on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Southern League Championship Match on 11.8.01 and Dean's next outing was also as a substitute during a 2-2 draw with Hereford at Hartsdown Park on 1.9.01. After he'd made another sub appearance in a 0-0 draw at Farnborough in the Conference on 4.9.01 Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Dean is an excellent player who has always proved reliable."

On 8.9.01 he made his first start of the season when he wore the number two shirt as Margate beat Telford 3-1 at home and Dean then played at right-back in the next five games, all in the Conference. In its report on a 2-1 win over visitors Stevenage on 18.9.01 the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "improved greatly after a nervous first half" and made a "brilliant tackle" on future Margate player Adrian Clarke which the paper said "left the ball on the roof of the stand and the winger off the pitch". On 29.9.01 Dean suffered an ankle injury in a 1-0 home defeat against Barnet that forced him to go off early in the second half and his run in the side ended with Margate having won four and drawn one of the previous five games he'd played in.

Dean didn't feature in the first team again until 13.11.01 when he played as a centre-back in a 3-1 win over Bromley in a Kent Senior Cup tie at Hartsdown Park but his ankle was still troubling him and soon afterwards Dean had an operation after a flaked ankle bone was diagnosed.

In January 2002 he was loaned to Dartford for a month but Dean then suffered ankle ligament damage and returned to Hartsdown Park.

After playing in a few reserve team games he returned to the senior side on 6.5.02 as Margate took on Gravesend & Northfleet in the Kent Senior Cup Final at Hartsdown Park. Dean wore the number six shirt as the visitors ran out 5-0 winners and it was Margate's last game of the season. It also turned out to be Dean's final appearance for the club. He was released by Margate shortly afterwards having played 11 times in all (three as sub) during 2001/02.

After playing in some of Dover's friendlies ahead of the 2002/03 campaign Dean joined Ramsgate for the start of the season proper and stayed at Southwood until September 2003 when he signed for Maidstone.

He only made one substitute appearance for the Kent League club before moving on to Sittingbourne in October 2003.

Dean then linked up with Hythe in September 2004 and spent around a year there before dropping out of senior football during the early part of the 2005/06 season. By then he was training to be a chartered accountant and didn't have time to commit to the semi-professional game although he continued playing for Thanet Sunday Football League side Active.

Dean returned to Kent League football in January 2008 when he signed for Faversham but after picking up a hamstring injury on Boxing Day 2008 he left the club at the start of 2009 and retired from football altogether aged 29 due to his work and family commitments.

In 2011 Dean was living in Tunbridge Wells and working in the town as a Client Manager at a Chartered Accountancy firm and on 12.5.12 he took part in Bill Edwards' testimonial match at Hartsdown Park.

Dean's uncle Terry, a former Welsh international player and manager, had a spell in charge of Margate between October 2008 and September 2009.