Andy Hunt (footballer)

Infobox Football biography


playername = Andy Hunt
fullname = Andrew Hunt
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1970|6|9|fb=yes
cityofbirth = Thurrock
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=6|in=0
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Striker
years = 1990–1991 1991–1993
1993
1993–1998
1998–2000
clubs = Kettering Town Newcastle United
→ West Bromwich Albion (loan)
West Bromwich Albion
Charlton Athletic
Total
caps(goals) = 000 00(0) 043 0(11)
009 00(9)
202 0(67)
086 0(35)
341 (122)

Andrew "Andy" Hunt (born 9 June 1970 in Thurrock) is a former English footballer.

Career

Hunt started his career in non-league football, whilst training in business and tourism management, with King's Lynn and Kettering Town before being signed by then manager Jim Smith for Newcastle United in 1991. Smith departed soon after, and Hunt continued to play under Ossie Ardiles. After Ardiles left, Hunt failed to get on with new manager Kevin Keegan, and departed for West Bromwich Albion, where Ardiles was now the manager. Hunt scored a hat-trick on his home debut for Albion in March 1993 against Brighton. [cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | date = 2005 | pages = pp120–121 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4] He scored in the Second Division play-off final in 1993 at Wembley as West Brom beat Port Vale 3–0 to gain promotion.

Hunt was a regular over the next five seasons, creating an effective partnership with Bob Taylor, but West Brom failed to gain another promotion. In 1998, he joined Charlton Athletic, who had just been promoted to the Premier League, on a free transfer. Charlton were relegated in Hunt's first season with them, but in his second season Hunt scored twenty four goals as Charlton won Division One to win promotion back to the Premiership. However, he was forced to retire early from football during the 2000–01 season due to chronic fatigue syndrome. Hunt returned to Charlton briefly in 2003 to try and earn another contract, and played in three reserve games, but was not offered a contract.

Hunt now runs the Belize Jungle Dome and Green Dragon Adventure Travel, a pair of adventure travel companies in Belize, with his wife, former MTV presenter Simone Angel. Hunt also maintains a blog which details how he became a professional footballer, and his thoughts on different football issues.

References

External links

*soccerbase|3721
* [http://www.greendragonbelize.com/ Green Dragon Adventure Travel]
* [http://www.belizejungledome.com/ Belize Jungle Dome]
* [http://escribbler.blogspot.com/ Hunt's personal blog]