Hayden Mullins
Encyclopedia
Hayden Ian Mullins is an English footballer who plays for Portsmouth. He plays as a sweeper and at right-back in addition to his preferred midfield-holding position.
as a trainee in August 1996. He was given his first team debut at the age of 18 by the Crystal Palace head coach, Terry Venables
, in a 3–3 draw against Bolton
in August 1998 and scored his first senior goal in only his third appearance, a 3–1 away defeat to Birmingham City
, a week later. He immediately established himself in the first-team, made 45 league and cup appearances in the 1988–89 season, was named "Player of The Year" and was capped for the England Under-18
team. Mullins later acknowledged his debt to Venables, saying, "I learnt a lot from him. He took a lot of time with us on the training pitch. He taught us a lot about shape and formation, he's very detailed in that respect. He's very good man on man, he made me feel totally comfortable he didn't pressure me into it at all."
Financial difficulties meant that the Crystal Palace were unable to make new signings for the 1999–2000 season and relied on youngsters such as Mullins and Clinton Morrison
and veterans such as Andy Linighan
as they successfully battled against relegation from Division One
. Mullins made 49 league and cup appearances in that season and a further 51 appearances in the 2000–01 season as Palace reached the semi-final of the League Cup
but narrowly escaped relegation. He was transfer listed in October 2000 due to what manager Alan Smith
described as a "bad attitude" but was taken off the list, offered and signed a new four-year contract two months later as his relationship with Smith improved. Smith said of him in January 2001, "He's a really good footballer which means I can play him in any position. I like my young players to play in different positions. This season he's played full-back, midfield and sweeper. [We've] got to work on his defending, but he's got pace, he has good vision and he wants to play football."
Mullins made a total of 47 appearances in the league and the cup at the 2001–02 season as the Palace had made an ultimately unsuccessful push for the Division One play-off places. He was made captain in the 2002–03 season by manager Trevor Francis
, who saw Mullins as being an integral part of the Palace squad, and made 52 league and cup appearances as Palace reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup and recorded a memorable 2–0 win over Liverpool
in an FA Cup
fourth round replay at Anfield. He was named "Player of The Year" for a second time in 2003.
An offer of over half a million for him was made by an anonymous club during the beginning of 2003 was ultimately rejected as being "derisory". With one year remaining on his existing contract, Mullins turned down the offer of a new contract in May 2003. His agent said, ""It is no secret that Hayden believes he will not be able to fulfil his true potential at Palace. If the club wishes to get some financial reward for their role in his up bringing, then they need to sell him this summer." the following October, he joined West Ham United
. Mullins made over 250 league and cup appearances for Palace, scoring 20 goals.
Mullins was the first signing for West Ham's newly appointed manager, Alan Pardew
, and initially joined on a short-term loan to enable him to play against Nottingham Forest
on the same day. The deal was then made permanent a day later for a fee of £600,000 rising to £800,000 should West Ham be promoted. Pardew said of him, "...I have captured a player that I feel is going to add significantly to us. [He] can play in various positions and give us cover in a number of those [...] I think ultimately he is a central midfield player for us and I think his energy will be important; he will have to battle in the midfield. He is someone we are going to look to when we are up against it, to win the battle and give the room to [other players] to play. He is very much a destroyer and I think we are desperate for one of those."
Mullins made 34 league and cup appearances in his first season for West Ham, helping them to the Division One play-off Final in May 2004, where they were beaten by a single goal to nil by Mullins' former club Crystal Palace. The following season, Mullins made 44 league and cup appearances as West Ham again reached the play-off final, this time beating Preston North End
1–0 to win promotion to the Premier League.
West Ham exceeded expectations in the 2005–06 season, finishing in a mid-table position and reaching the FA Cup Final
, which was won by Liverpool
3–1 on penalties.
Mullins, having made 42 appearances in that season, was however suspended for the final along with Luis García
, after the pair had been sent off in a league fixture a few weeks earlier and an appeal against his dismissal was rejected by the Football Association. Pardew said, "I feel very aggrieved and very upset because Hayden has had a fantastic season. He has been one of our best players. He was my first signing here, I'm very proud of him, of what he has done and achieved."
At the beginning of the 2006–07 season, West Ham completed the signing of Argentine
international Javier Mascherano who, like Mullins, was a defensive midfielder. However, after a brief period on the bench, Mullins re-established himself in the first team and scored the winning goal, in a 2–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers
in October 2006, which put an end to the worst run of results for West Ham in 74 years.
Mullins made 32 league and cup appearances in the 2006–07 season as West Ham narrowly escaped relegation. On Saturday 1 November 2008, he scored his first league goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough
at the Riverside Stadium
. It was his first league goal for the Hammers since November 2006.
Mullins made a total of 213 appearances for West Ham, scoring 7 goals.
on a three and a half year contract and was given number 6. He started the 2010 FA Cup Final
in an unfamiliar left back role when Portsmouth
were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Chelsea
.
Portsmouth were relegated at the end of the season, but Mullins stayed at the Fratton Park
side and took number 8 for the 2010-11 season after captain Marc Wilson was given number 6. Mullins scored his first goal for Pompey when he netted in a 3-1 win over on 28 September 2010.
In May 2011 he was voted Portsmouth player-of-the-season for the 2010-11 season.
Crystal Palace
Mullins joined Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
as a trainee in August 1996. He was given his first team debut at the age of 18 by the Crystal Palace head coach, Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
, in a 3–3 draw against Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in August 1998 and scored his first senior goal in only his third appearance, a 3–1 away defeat to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, a week later. He immediately established himself in the first-team, made 45 league and cup appearances in the 1988–89 season, was named "Player of The Year" and was capped for the England Under-18
England national under-18 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Slovakia.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England under-18 squad and remain eligible.-References:...
team. Mullins later acknowledged his debt to Venables, saying, "I learnt a lot from him. He took a lot of time with us on the training pitch. He taught us a lot about shape and formation, he's very detailed in that respect. He's very good man on man, he made me feel totally comfortable he didn't pressure me into it at all."
Financial difficulties meant that the Crystal Palace were unable to make new signings for the 1999–2000 season and relied on youngsters such as Mullins and Clinton Morrison
Clinton Morrison
Clinton Hubert Morrison is an English-born professional footballer who plays for Milton Keynes Dons, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday...
and veterans such as Andy Linighan
Andy Linighan
Andrew "Andy" Linighan is a former English football player.Linighan was born in Hartlepool into a footballing family – his brothers David and Brian were also professional footballers. He first played for his local side, Hartlepool United, before spells at Leeds United , Oldham Athletic and...
as they successfully battled against relegation from Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. Mullins made 49 league and cup appearances in that season and a further 51 appearances in the 2000–01 season as Palace reached the semi-final of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
but narrowly escaped relegation. He was transfer listed in October 2000 due to what manager Alan Smith
Alan Smith (manager)
Alan Smith is an English former football manager who began his coaching career as Steve Coppell's assistant at Crystal Palace. When Palace suffered relegation from the Premiership in 1993, Coppell resigned and Smith moved up to the manager's seat...
described as a "bad attitude" but was taken off the list, offered and signed a new four-year contract two months later as his relationship with Smith improved. Smith said of him in January 2001, "He's a really good footballer which means I can play him in any position. I like my young players to play in different positions. This season he's played full-back, midfield and sweeper. [We've] got to work on his defending, but he's got pace, he has good vision and he wants to play football."
Mullins made a total of 47 appearances in the league and the cup at the 2001–02 season as the Palace had made an ultimately unsuccessful push for the Division One play-off places. He was made captain in the 2002–03 season by manager Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis
Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
, who saw Mullins as being an integral part of the Palace squad, and made 52 league and cup appearances as Palace reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup and recorded a memorable 2–0 win over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
fourth round replay at Anfield. He was named "Player of The Year" for a second time in 2003.
An offer of over half a million for him was made by an anonymous club during the beginning of 2003 was ultimately rejected as being "derisory". With one year remaining on his existing contract, Mullins turned down the offer of a new contract in May 2003. His agent said, ""It is no secret that Hayden believes he will not be able to fulfil his true potential at Palace. If the club wishes to get some financial reward for their role in his up bringing, then they need to sell him this summer." the following October, he joined West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. Mullins made over 250 league and cup appearances for Palace, scoring 20 goals.
West Ham United
Alan Pardew
Alan Scott Pardew is an English football manager and former player, currently the manager of Newcastle United....
, and initially joined on a short-term loan to enable him to play against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on the same day. The deal was then made permanent a day later for a fee of £600,000 rising to £800,000 should West Ham be promoted. Pardew said of him, "...I have captured a player that I feel is going to add significantly to us. [He] can play in various positions and give us cover in a number of those [...] I think ultimately he is a central midfield player for us and I think his energy will be important; he will have to battle in the midfield. He is someone we are going to look to when we are up against it, to win the battle and give the room to [other players] to play. He is very much a destroyer and I think we are desperate for one of those."
Mullins made 34 league and cup appearances in his first season for West Ham, helping them to the Division One play-off Final in May 2004, where they were beaten by a single goal to nil by Mullins' former club Crystal Palace. The following season, Mullins made 44 league and cup appearances as West Ham again reached the play-off final, this time beating Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
1–0 to win promotion to the Premier League.
West Ham exceeded expectations in the 2005–06 season, finishing in a mid-table position and reaching the FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
, which was won by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
3–1 on penalties.
Mullins, having made 42 appearances in that season, was however suspended for the final along with Luis García
Luis Javier García Sanz
Luis Javier García Sanz , known as Luis García, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Puebla F.C. in Mexico, mainly as a left winger....
, after the pair had been sent off in a league fixture a few weeks earlier and an appeal against his dismissal was rejected by the Football Association. Pardew said, "I feel very aggrieved and very upset because Hayden has had a fantastic season. He has been one of our best players. He was my first signing here, I'm very proud of him, of what he has done and achieved."
At the beginning of the 2006–07 season, West Ham completed the signing of Argentine
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
international Javier Mascherano who, like Mullins, was a defensive midfielder. However, after a brief period on the bench, Mullins re-established himself in the first team and scored the winning goal, in a 2–1 home win over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in October 2006, which put an end to the worst run of results for West Ham in 74 years.
Mullins made 32 league and cup appearances in the 2006–07 season as West Ham narrowly escaped relegation. On Saturday 1 November 2008, he scored his first league goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
at the Riverside Stadium
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough F.C. since it opened in 1995...
. It was his first league goal for the Hammers since November 2006.
Mullins made a total of 213 appearances for West Ham, scoring 7 goals.
Portsmouth
On 25 January 2009, Mullins joined PortsmouthPortsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
on a three and a half year contract and was given number 6. He started the 2010 FA Cup Final
2010 FA Cup Final
The 2010 FA Cup Final was the 129th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 2010, at Wembley Stadium, London...
in an unfamiliar left back role when Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
Portsmouth were relegated at the end of the season, but Mullins stayed at the Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
side and took number 8 for the 2010-11 season after captain Marc Wilson was given number 6. Mullins scored his first goal for Pompey when he netted in a 3-1 win over on 28 September 2010.
In May 2011 he was voted Portsmouth player-of-the-season for the 2010-11 season.
International career
Mullins has made three appearances for the England U-21 team against Poland U-21 in March 1999, Hungary U-21 in April 1999 and Bulgaria U-21 in June 1999.Career statistics
| Club | Season | League The Football League The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football... |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
1998–99 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 5 |
| 1999–00 | 45 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 11 | |
| 2000–01 | 41 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 1 | |
| 2001–02 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | 43 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| 2003–04 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Total | 222 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 257 | 20 | |
| West Ham West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
2003–04 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| 2004–05 2004–05 Football League Championship The Football League 2004–05 , was the thirteenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2004 and concluded in May 2005, with the promotion play-off finals. This was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League... |
39 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
| 2005–06 | 35 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
| 2007–08 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| Total | 185 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 213 | 7 | |
| Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... |
2008–09 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Football League Championship The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format... |
45 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Football League Championship The 2011–12 Football League Championship is the eighth season of the league under its current title and nineteenth season under its current league division format.... |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Total | 90 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 2 | |