- Noel Hunt
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Noel Hunt 
Personal information Full name Noel Hunt Date of birth 26 December 1983 Place of birth Waterford, Ireland Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Playing position Striker Club information Current club Reading Number 10 Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2001–2003 Shamrock Rovers 25 (11) 2001–2002 → Waterford United (loan) 9 (5) 2003–2006 Dunfermline Athletic 80 (8) 2006–2008 Dundee United 64 (23) 2008– Reading 97 (25) National team‡ 2005 Republic of Ireland U21 4 (1) 2007 Republic of Ireland B 1 (0) 2008–2009 Republic of Ireland 3 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:12, 6 November 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 May 2010Noel Hunt (born 26 December 1983 in Waterford, Republic of Ireland) is an Irish footballer, who currently plays as a striker for Football League Championship side Reading. His brother is Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. player Stephen Hunt.
Contents
Club career
Ireland
Hunt began playing junior club football in Waterford, before being signed by Damien Richardson for League of Ireland club, Shamrock Rovers in Dublin in 2001, aged 18. He made his competitive debut in a 3–2 League of Ireland Cup win over Shelbourne on 29 October 2001 [3], and scored his first competitive goal in the same competition in January [4].
Rovers then loaned him out to his hometown club Waterford United where he scored five league goals in the First Division in the 2001–02 season. Scoring on his debut [5] in December 2001 he was later embroiled in controversy as the Blues were deducted 3 points due to incorrect registration [6].
The following season was the last winter football season and in the shortened 27 game series, new manager Liam Buckley played Hunt and he rewarded the club by being top club goalscorer with eleven league goals and two FAI Cup goals to propel Rovers to the FAI Cup final and third place in the league.
During this time he also made his European début playing twice for the club in the UEFA Cup. His final match for Shamrock Rovers was on the last day of the season, 24 January 2003, when he was substituted to a hero's reception in a game where Rovers beat Longford Town 3–2 to secure a place in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. He was awarded the Shamrock Rovers Player of the Year award that season. Hunt scored a total of 14 goals for Shamrock.
Scotland
Hunt moved to Scottish Premier League club Dunfermline Athletic in a £100,000 deal on 27 January 2003,[1] going on to win the clubs' Young Player of the Season award for the 2003–04 season. His pace and aggressive running won praise from Dunfermline supporters, but his time at the club was disrupted somewhat by a recurring knee injury.[2] He joined Dundee United in June 2006 for £50,000,[3] scoring his first goal on 5 August against Rangers in his second match for the club, a 2–2 draw. On 14 October he scored against Celtic in a 4–1 defeat and scored the winner against Kilmarnock in November. His goals continued with winners against St. Mirren, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and Motherwell. However, after injuring himself scoring the winner against Motherwell in December, he failed to score again until his goal in the 4–0 away victory over Hearts in March 2007.
In the 2007–08 season, Hunt scored three times in the opening six league matches, as well as a goal in the League Cup Final, a match United lost to Rangers on penalties amidst refereeing controversy, during a 2–2 draw. On 31 October 2007 in a League Cup match against Hamilton Academical, he scored his first hat-trick for United in a 3–1 win.
Reading
On 23 July 2008 Hunt moved to Championship side Reading for an undisclosed fee rumoured to be around £600,000. Having taken the club's number 11 shirt, recently vacated by John Oster, Hunt joined up with the squad's tour of Sweden and scored his first goal in a 3–1 win over Halmstads BK on 29 July [7].
In the absence of Reading manager Steve Coppell (who was already in Sweden), Director of Football Nicky Hammond said that although "Dundee United didn't want to lose Noel but understood his real desire to embark upon a new challenge with Reading Football Club. From my conversations with Noel, it is clear that he possesses the qualities of hunger and determination that Steve Coppell wants at this club as we attempt to regain a place in the Premier League."[4]
He played his first competitive game for Reading on 12 August 2008, scoring the deciding goal in a 2–1 win over Dagenham & Redbridge in the first round of the Football League Cup. He also scored on his second appearance on the 26 August 2008, scoring the first of five goals by Reading in a 5–1 result against Luton Town.[5] Hunt scored his first league goals for Reading when he scored two goals in a 6–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.[6]
In a match against Watford in September 2008, Hunt was involved in controversy surrounding a goal that did not actually cross the line. Hunt also dispatched the second goal for the Royals in their 4–1 demolition of Bristol City. Hunt then got injured in Reading's 1–0 loss against Cardiff city which made sure he was out for the rest of the 2009–10 season. Noel scored against Leicester City in a 3–1 win.
International career
Hunt made his debut as a substitute for his country at Rugby Park in an Republic of Ireland under-21 national football team friendly game against Scotland in February 2003. He went on to play four times at this level scoring once in Tbilisi. He was named in the Republic of Ireland "B" squad on 8 November 2007, for the match against Scotland on 20 November at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie,[7] which ended in a 1–1 draw.[8]
He was called up to the senior squad for the Poland friendly in November 2008, after injuries to Robbie Keane and Aiden McGeady,[9] making his debut in the game, coming on as a substitute on the 60th minute.[10]
His second cap for the Republic of Ireland came in the World Cup Qualifying tie against Italy in Bari, Southern Italy. He came on as a substitute for his then Reading colleague, Kevin Doyle [8].
Hunt started his first competitive game in Ireland's last World Cup qualifying tie in October 2009 [9].
Honours
- Player of the Year:
- Shamrock Rovers – 2002/03
See also
- Dundee United F.C. season 2006-07
- Dundee United F.C. season 2007-08
- Reading F.C. season 2008-09
References
- ^ "Pars win striker Hunt". BBC Sport. 28 December 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dunfermline_athletic/2611849.stm. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
- ^ "Hunt requires surgery". BBC Sport. 10 May 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dunfermline_athletic/3017389.stm. Retrieved 1 January 2008.
- ^ "New faces welcomed to Tannadice". BBC Sport. 20 June 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/5099412.stm. Retrieved q January 2008.
- ^ "Noel Hunt joins Reading". readingfc.co.uk. 2008-07-23. http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10306~1349860,00.html. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ "Five-star Royals ease through". readingfc.co.uk. 2008-08-26. http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10306~46487,00.html. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ^ readingfc.co.uk. http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10306~43893,00.html.
- ^ "Connor and Gartland earn 'B' call-up". RTÉ. 2007-11-08. http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2007/1108/irelandb.html. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ^ "Ireland pegged back by late strike". The Irish Times. 2007-11-20. http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2007/1120/1195251588684.html. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
External links
- Noel Hunt profile at readingfc.co.uk
- Noel Hunt career stats at Soccerbase
Reading F.C. – current squad 1 Federici · 2 Griffin · 4 Karacan · 5 Pearce · 6 Gunnarsson · 7 Tabb · 8 Leigertwood · 9 Le Fondre · 10 Hunt · 11 McAnuff · 14 Kébé · 15 Morrison · 16 Jo. Mills · 17 Gorkšs · 18 Church · 19 Robson-Kanu · 22 Manset · 23 Harte · 24 Cummings · 26 Khumalo · 27 Baseya · 30 Locke · 31 Andersen · 32 Walcott · 34 Gage · 36 Ja. Mills · 37 Obita · 38 Raymond · 40 D'Ath · 43 Arnold · 44 Goddard · 46 MacDonald · 49 Ugwu · 50 C. Edwards · 51 R. Edwards · Manager: McDermott
Categories:- 1982 births
- Living people
- Shamrock Rovers F.C. players
- Waterford United F.C. players
- League of Ireland players
- Dunfermline Athletic F.C. players
- Dundee United F.C. players
- Expatriate footballers in Scotland
- Association football forwards
- People from County Waterford
- Reading F.C. players
- Republic of Ireland association footballers
- Republic of Ireland expatriate association footballers
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Republic of Ireland B international footballers
- Republic of Ireland international footballers
- Republic of Ireland under-21 international footballers
- Scottish Premier League players
- The Football League players
- Player of the Year:
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