Jonathan Hunt (footballer)

Jonathan Richard Hunt (born 2 November 1971) is an English footballer who plays for Enfield Town. He made more than 200 appearances in the Football League for a variety of clubs and played in the Premier League for Derby County.[3]

For other people named Jonathan Hunt, see Jonathan Hunt (disambiguation).

Jonathan Hunt
Personal information
Full name Jonathan Richard Hunt[1]
Date of birth (1971-11-02) 2 November 1971[1]
Place of birth Camden,[1] England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990 St Albans City 1 (0)
Woking
199?–1993 Barnet 33 (0)
1993–1994 Southend United 49 (6)
1994–1997 Birmingham City 77 (18)
1997–1999 Derby County 25 (2)
1998 → Sheffield United (loan) 5 (1)
1998 → Ipswich Town (loan) 6 (0)
1999–2000 Sheffield United 22 (1)
2000 → Cambridge United (loan) 7 (1)
2000–2001 Wimbledon 12 (0)
2002–2003 Peterborough United 0 (0)
2008–2009 St Albans City 49 (7)
2009 Harrow Borough 4 (0)
2009–2012 Hornchurch
2012–2013 Enfield Town
Total 290 (36)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Born in Camden, London, Hunt was a striker in youth football before converting to midfield, and developed into a skilful right-sided midfielder. He played under manager Barry Fry at Barnet, winning promotion to Division Two in his first full season, and Southend United before following Fry to Birmingham City in September 1994 for a fee of £500,000.

The most successful time of Hunt's career was spent at Birmingham where he played over a hundred games. His first season was disrupted by injury, but he was still able to contribute to Birmingham becoming Division Two champions, and he played in the final of the Football League Trophy at Wembley, the game won by Paul Tait's golden goal. While at the club he scored 18 league goals, and was leading scorer in the 1995–96 season with 15 goals in all competitions,[4] a performance that earned him the club's Player of the Year award.[5]

Hunt then moved on to Premier League Derby County, again for £500,000. Although he did play (and score) in the top flight he only made seven first team starts, and his career started to go downhill from there. He made loan moves to Sheffield United and Ipswich Town, both of the Championship, before joining Sheffield United on a permanent basis in a swap deal for Vassilis Borbokis. He played regularly until Neil Warnock took over as manager, and was then made available for transfer. A trial at Norwich City[6] proving unsuccessful, Hunt made yet another loan move, this time to Cambridge United of Division Two. At the end of the 1999–2000 season Sheffield United cut their losses, paid up the remaining two years of his contract and released him.[7]

He joined Wimbledon of the Championship in September 2000 but appeared only intermittently. The highlight of his Wimbledon career came when he scored the extra-time goal to seal a 3–1 victory over Premier League Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fifth round.[8] With the transfer window about to close, he agreed to link up yet again with former manager Barry Fry, now at Peterborough United, but changed his mind at the last minute.[9] He played no more first team games for Wimbledon and was released at the end of the season.[10]

He eventually joined Fry at Second Division Peterborough in September 2002 on non-contract terms. Although Fry reportedly said he would have "no hesitation" about giving him his debut in the weekend's game,[11] Hunt made no first team appearances for Peterborough and was released at the end of the season.[12]

Having been out of the game for five years, in February 2008 Hunt signed a short-term contract until the end of the season for St Albans City of the Conference South, managed by former Birmingham and Peterborough colleague Steve Castle.[13] In August 1990, as an 18-year-old, he had made one previous appearance for the club.[14] He remained with the club until the end of the 2008–09 season, scoring 9 goals from 57 appearances in all competitions.[15] After four matches for Harrow Borough without scoring,[16] Hunt joined Isthmian League Premier Division club A.F.C. Hornchurch in September 2009.[17] In September 2012 he joined Enfield Town.[18]

Honours

Barnet

Birmingham City

References
  1. "Jonathan Hunt". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  2. Sewell, Albert, ed. (1996). News of the World Football Annual 1996–97. London: Invincible Press. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-00-218737-4.
  3. "Connections: vs Harrow Borough". AFC Hornchurch. 22 July 2001. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  4. Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Breedon Books. pp. 99, 230, 245. ISBN 1-85983-010-2.
  5. "Player of the Year". The Birmingham City FC Archive. 13 December 2002. Archived from the original on 28 December 2004. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  6. Allen, David (2 February 2000). "Duo take City trial". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  7. Allen, David. "One in, two out for Blades". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
    "Jonathan Hunt – Footie index" (reprint). The Sun. NewsBank. 22 July 2001. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  8. "Wimbledon hand Venables first defeat". BBC Sport. 13 February 2001. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  9. "March 2001". It Must Be Dons. Paul Raymond. 22 March 2001. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  10. Evans, Nic (18 May 2001). "Mixed day for Dons – 2 sign, 4 released". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  11. Fudge, Simon (7 September 2002). "Posh sign Hunt". Sky Sports. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
  12. Wilkinson, Chris (2006). "2002/03 Transfers". Up the Posh! The Peterborough United Database. Retrieved 31 July 2007.
  13. Affleck, Kevin (14 February 2008). "Castle lands Hunt". St Albans and Harpenden Review. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
  14. "Hunt Signs & Martin Completes Move". St Albans City F.C. 13 February 2008. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
    "Hendon 2–2 St Albans City". saintsstatistics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  15. "Jonathan Hunt". saintsstatistics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  16. "Match Results and Report Archive: Season 2009–2010". Harrow Borough F.C. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  17. "Player Profiles". A.F.C. Hornchurch. Archived from the original on 30 October 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  18. "Experienced midfielder Hunt completes his move to Town". Barnet & Whetstone Press. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
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