Stephen Hunt (footballer born 1981)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Stephen Hunt


fullname = Stephen Patrick Hunt
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|8|1|df=yes
cityofbirth = County Laois
countryofbirth = Ireland
height = 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
position = Winger
currentclub = Reading
clubnumber = 10
contractend = 1 July 2011
youthyears =
youthclubs = Crystal Palace
years = 1998–2001
2001–2005
2005–
clubs = Crystal Palace
Brentford
Reading
caps(goals) = 003 0(0)
136 (25)
115 (15)
nationalyears = 2000
2007–
nationalteam = Republic of Ireland U21
Republic of Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 001 0(0)
013 0(0)
pcupdate = 18:08, 20 september 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 19:05, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Stephen Patrick Hunt (born 1 August 1981 in Portlaoise, County Laois) is an Irish footballer. His position is left midfield, and he plays professionally for Reading. He previously played for Brentford and Crystal Palace. His younger brother, Noel Hunt, is also a footballer, and recently joined Stephen at Reading.

Club career

Early years

Hunt became known for his creative and skilful play as well as his work rate as a winger. Although born in county Laois in Ireland, Hunt grew up in Clonea-Power, Waterford in the south of Ireland. Hunts first introduction to organised football was when he moved to the Mount Sion secondary school in Waterford at the age of 11. During his time at secondary school he also began playing for local soccer side Johnville. This got Hunt a degree of recognition and he played for Kennedy Cup football for Waterford County He later excelled for Carrick United at various age levels, before going to England starting his career as a trainee with Crystal Palace. Failing to make an impact on the first team, Hunt had trials with clubs including Dundee United [cite web|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=3&nID=329&cd=2001&cd1=1|title=DECISION TIME FOR TRIAL TRIO|date=2001-01-22|publisher=Dundee United FC|accessdate=2008-08-18] before leaving to join Brentford. In his four years at the West London club, he became an integral part of the team.

In 2005, Hunt decided to leave Brentford, and rejected a new contract. After agreeing to join Bradford City, late interest from Reading, then in the Football League Championship, made him change his mind.

Reading

Hunt was unfortunate to be denied more starting appearances in his first Reading season by the form of Bobby Convey. He still made a good contribution, appearing from the bench, as Reading marched to the Championship title and promotion to the Premiership during the 2005–06 season.

On 14 October 2006, Hunt and Chelsea's goalkeeper Petr Čech challenged for the ball in the first minute of a league game at the Madejski Stadium, resulting in a collision between Čech's head and Hunt's knee and Čech undergoing surgery for a depressed fracture of the skull.cite news | date=2006-10-15 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6053244.stm | title=Keeper Cech has surgery on skull | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2006-10-16] Following the incident officials and players of not just the two clubs involved, pundits, footballer representatives and even MPs expressed views either condemning [cite news | date=2006-10-14 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6052028.stm | title=Mourinho angry as keepers injured | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2006-10-16] or supporting [cite news | date=2006-10-14 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10306~912021,00.html | title=Coppell gives his views on Chelsea game, Hunt collision, ref Riley and more | publisher=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2006-10-16] Hunt and the others involved in the aftermath of the incident. The FA eventually confirmed that no action would be taken against Hunt [cite news | date=2006-10-19 | url=http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2006/10/ReadingChelsea.htm | title=Reading/Chelsea statement | publisher=thefa.com | accessdate=2006-10-19] but, in the mean time, both Hunt and team-mate Ibrahima Sonko, involved in a collision in the same match with Čech's replacement Carlo Cudicini, had received deaths threats from alleged Chelsea fans. [cite news | date=2006-11-16 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/reading/6153958.stm | title=Police probe Royals death threats | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2006-11-16] [cite news | date=2006-11-16 | url=http://icberkshire.icnetwork.co.uk/chronicle/headlines/tm_headline=reading-players-receive-death-threats%26method=full%26objectid=18104734%26siteid=50102-name_page.html | title=Reading players receive death threats | publisher=The Reading Chronicle | accessdate=2006-11-16] [cite news | date=2006-11-17 | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,30269-2457433,00.html | title=Reading pair get death threats as Chelsea row turns sinister | publisher=The Times | accessdate=2006-11-17 | author=Russell Kempson] [cite news | date=2006-11-16 | url=http://www.chelseafc.com/article.asp?hlid=429292&title=Statement+on+Reading+threats&nav=news | title=Statement on Reading Threats | publisher=www.chelseafc.com | accessdate=2006-11-17]

On 9 July 2009–10 season. [cite news | date=2007-07-09 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1069832,00.html | title=Hunt signs new contract | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2007-07-09] During the January 2008 transfer window, Reading rejected £2.5m,cite news | date=2007-12-31 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7165934.stm | title=Reading rule out Hunt departure | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-12-31] cite news | date=2007-12-31 | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3113829.ece | title=Reading hoping to hang on to Stephen Hunt | publisher=The Times | accessdate=2007-12-31] £3m, [cite news | date=2008-01-07 | url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_3029366,00.html | title=Blacks Cats fail in second bid for Royals ace | publisher=Sky Sports | accessdate=2008-01-07] £4.5m, [cite news | date=2008-01-10 | url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=507434&in_page_id=1779 | title=Sunderland raise Hunt bid to £4.5m | work=The Daily Mail | accessdate=2008-01-24] then finally £5m [cite news | date=2008-01-24 | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3241352.ece | title=Tottenham step up bid to clinch deal for Tiago | work=The Times | accessdate=2008-01-24] bids from Sunderland for Hunt, but Reading confirmed that they had no intention of selling players during the January 2008 transfer window. On 1 February 2008, Hunt signed a new deal with Reading keeping him at the club until the summer of 2011. [cite news | date=2008-02-01 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1231200,00.html | title=Hunt signs a new contract | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2008-02-01] In 2007-08, Hunt scored 6 goals in 39 appearances for Reading's first team.

International career

Hunt earned his first cap for the Republic of Ireland in their 2-1 win away to San Marino on 7 February 2007, coming on as a substitute. [cite news | date=2007-02-07 | title=San Marino 1-2 Rep of Ireland | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6340553.stm | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-02-07] He earned his second cap in their 1-0 home win against Wales on 24 March 2007, again coming on as a substitute. [cite news | date=2007-03-24 | title=Rep of Ire 1-0 Wales | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6439991.stm | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-03-27]

Hunt then made a substitute appearance in Ireland's 1-0 defeat to the Czech Republic on 12 September 2007. However, he was sent off by Greek referee Kyros Vassaras following a challenge on Jan Polák, with later reports suggesting this was a harsh decision as Hunt had appeared to win the ball. [cite news | date=2007-09-12 | title=Czech Republic 1-0 Rep of Ireland | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6992042.stm | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-12-19]

Honours

Hunt was voted by Reading supporters as the official Player of the Month for October 2006, taking 25.3% of the vote. [cite news | date=2006-11-10 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~926053,00.html | title=Hunt voted the official readingfc.co.uk / Courage player of the month | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2006-11-10]

He came third in Readings player of the year vote in 2007 behind Ivar Ingimarsson and Nicky Shorey. [cite news | date=2007-05-03 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1020082,00.html | title=Royals confirm Hunt, Ingimarsson or Shorey will win player of the season | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2008-02-02]

Hunt was voted by Reading supporters as the official Player of the Year for the 2007/2008 season. [cite news | date=2008-5-5 | url=http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Gallery/0,,10306~1307352,00.html | title=Hunt voted the official readingfc.co.uk / Courage player of the month | work=readingfc.co.uk | accessdate=2008-05-05]

References

External links

* [http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10306~8404,00.html Stephen Hunt profile] at readingfc.co.uk
*soccerbase|17143|Stephen Hunt

Persondata
NAME=Hunt, Stephen Patrick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=1 August 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH=County Laois, Republic of Ireland
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=