Noel Hunt
Encyclopedia
Noel Hunt 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.
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 http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/reports/vshels291001.htm, and scored his first competitive goal in the same competition in January http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/reports/vlongford230102.htm.
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 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2001/1224/Pg012.html#Ar01205:0875140A15250A85830C25940966610AE67206C514084525 in December 2001 he was later embroiled in controversy as the Blues were deducted 3 points due to incorrect registration http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2002/0419/Pg017.html#Ar01705:0A394E0B79630B794E0C496307F94E09F963.
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.
club Dunfermline Athletic
in a £100,000 deal on 27 January 2003, 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. He joined Dundee United in June 2006 for £50,000, 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.
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 http://www.hbk.se/extra/news/?module_instance=2&id=2882.
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."
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
. Hunt scored his first league goals for Reading when he scored two goals in a 6–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
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.
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
, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
He was called up to the senior squad for the Poland friendly in November 2008, after injuries to Robbie Keane
and Aiden McGeady
, making his debut in the game, coming on as a substitute on the 60th minute.
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 http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&catid=1&Itemid=8.
Hunt started his first competitive game in Ireland's last World Cup qualifying tie in October 2009 http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100447:ireland-complete-world-cup-first-phase-unbeaten&catid=1:senior-men&Itemid=8.
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. His brother is Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
player Stephen Hunt.
Ireland
Hunt began playing junior club football in Waterford, before being signed by Damien RichardsonDamien Richardson
Damien John Richardson is an Irish football manager and former player. He currently has no club attachments, having left Cork City at the end of the 2007 season. Richardson formerly managed Gillingham in England and Cobh Ramblers, Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers in Ireland.Richardson's father...
for League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
club, Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
in Dublin in 2001, aged 18. He made his competitive debut in a 3–2 League of Ireland Cup win over Shelbourne
Shelbourne F.C.
Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
on 29 October 2001 http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/reports/vshels291001.htm, and scored his first competitive goal in the same competition in January http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/reports/vlongford230102.htm.
Rovers then loaned him out to his hometown club Waterford United
Waterford United
Waterford United is an Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded and elected to the league in 1930 and hails from Waterford. Originally the club was based at Kilcohan Park greyhound stadium, but have now moved to the Waterford Regional Sports...
where he scored five league goals in the First Division in the 2001–02 season. Scoring on his debut http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2001/1224/Pg012.html#Ar01205:0875140A15250A85830C25940966610AE67206C514084525 in December 2001 he was later embroiled in controversy as the Blues were deducted 3 points due to incorrect registration http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/2002/0419/Pg017.html#Ar01705:0A394E0B79630B794E0C496307F94E09F963.
The following season was the last winter football season and in the shortened 27 game series, new manager Liam Buckley
Liam Buckley
Liam Buckley , is an Irish former professional football player and manager.-Playing career:Liam began his League of Ireland career with Shelbourne F.C. and signed for Shamrock Rovers as a full time player in the 1979 close season...
played Hunt and he rewarded the club by being top club goalscorer with eleven league goals and two FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
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
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. 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
Longford Town F.C.
Longford Town F.C. is an Irish football club playing in the League of Ireland First Division. The club, founded in 1924 and elected to the league in 1984, hails from Longford, County Longford and play their home matches at Flancare Park...
3–2 to secure a place in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
. 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 LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
in a £100,000 deal on 27 January 2003, 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. He joined Dundee United in June 2006 for £50,000, scoring his first goal on 5 August against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in his second match for the club, a 2–2 draw. On 14 October he scored against Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in a 4–1 defeat and scored the winner against Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
in November. His goals continued with winners against St. Mirren, Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...
, and Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
. 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
Scottish Premier League 2007-08
The 2007–08 Scottish Premier League season was the tenth season of the Scottish Premier League. It began on 4 August 2007 and was originally due to end on 18 May 2008...
, Hunt scored three times in the opening six league matches, as well as a goal in the League Cup Final
Scottish League Cup 2007-08
The 2007–08 Scottish League Cup was the 62nd staging of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the CIS Insurance Cup....
, a match United lost to Rangers on penalties amidst refereeing controversy, during a 2–2 draw. On 31 October 2007 in a League Cup
Scottish League Cup 2007-08
The 2007–08 Scottish League Cup was the 62nd staging of the Scotland's second most prestigious football knockout competition, also known for sponsorship reasons as the CIS Insurance Cup....
match against Hamilton Academical
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
, he scored his first hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
for United in a 3–1 win.
Reading
On 23 July 2008 Hunt moved to ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
for an undisclosed fee rumoured to be around £600,000. Having taken the club's number 11 shirt, recently vacated by John Oster
John Oster
John Morgan Oster is an English born Welsh international footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Football League Championship club Doncaster Rovers. Oster progressed through the youth ranks at Grimsby Town before moving on to Premier League Everton...
, Hunt joined up with the squad's tour of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and scored his first goal in a 3–1 win over Halmstads BK
Halmstads BK
Halmstads Bollklubb, also called HBK or just Halmstad, is a Swedish football club located in Halmstad in the southwest of Sweden. The club, formed 6 March 1914, competes in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan, and has won 4 national championship titles and 1 national cup title...
on 29 July http://www.hbk.se/extra/news/?module_instance=2&id=2882.
In the absence of Reading manager Steve Coppell
Steve Coppell
Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
(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."
He played his first competitive game for Reading on 12 August 2008, scoring the deciding goal in a 2–1 win over Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham & Redbridge F.C.
Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club , informally known as Daggers, is an English association football club based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, East London. It was formed in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham...
in the first round of the Football 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...
. 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
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
. Hunt scored his first league goals for Reading when he scored two goals in a 6–0 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
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
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the 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 ParkRugby Park
Rugby Park is a football stadium situated in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock. It was first used in 1899 and is the home of Kilmarnock F.C..It underwent a major redevelopment in 1994–95, becoming an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 18,128...
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
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. He was named in the Republic of Ireland "B" squad on 8 November 2007, for the match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on 20 November at the Excelsior Stadium
Excelsior Stadium
The Excelsior Stadium is the home of Airdrie United F.C. of the Scottish Football League Second Division. It was built in 1998 to house Airdrieonians F.C., and when Airdrieonians went into liquidation four years later, Airdrie United began playing their home games there.When the stadium first...
in Airdrie
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
He was called up to the senior squad for the Poland friendly in November 2008, after injuries to Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
and Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady is a Scottish-born Irish footballer who currently plays as a winger for Russian club Spartak Moscow. Although born and brought up in Scotland, McGeady plays internationally for the Republic of Ireland, a country he qualifies for through his grandparents...
, making his debut in the game, coming on as a substitute on the 60th minute.
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 http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&catid=1&Itemid=8.
Hunt started his first competitive game in Ireland's last World Cup qualifying tie in October 2009 http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100447:ireland-complete-world-cup-first-phase-unbeaten&catid=1:senior-men&Itemid=8.
See also
- Dundee United F.C. season 2006-07
- Dundee United F.C. season 2007-08Dundee United F.C. season 2007-08Dundee United finished the Scottish Premier League 2007–08 season in 5th place with 52 points. Noel Hunt was the top scorer with 18 goals.-Review and events:...
- Reading F.C. season 2008-09Reading F.C. season 2008-09Reading Football Club played the 2008–09 season in the Football League Championship, having been relegated on the final day of the 2007–08 Premier League season...
External links
- Noel Hunt profile at readingfc.co.uk