Clint Hill (footballer)

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Clint Hill

Hill playing for Queens Park Rangers in 2011
Personal information
Full nameClinton Scott Hill
Date of birth (1978-10-19) 19 October 1978
Place of birthHuyton, England[1]
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current clubQueens Park Rangers
Number6
Youth career
1994–1997Tranmere Rovers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–2002Tranmere Rovers140(16)
2002–2003Oldham Athletic18(1)
2003–2008Stoke City80(3)
2007–2008→ Crystal Palace (loan)13(3)
2008–2010Crystal Palace103(2)
2010–Queens Park Rangers122(4)
2011→ Nottingham Forest (loan)5(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 August 2013 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Clinton Scott "Clint" Hill (born 19 October 1978) is an English footballer who currently is the captain of Queens Park Rangers. His preferred position is at centre-back, although he can also play at left-back as well.

Hill began his career with local side Tranmere Rovers in 1997. He broke into the first team and became a regular as Rovers reached the League Cup final in 2000. Hill was sent-off however as Tranmere lost 2–1. He remained at Prenton Park until 2002 when he joined Oldham Athletic and after impressing there he was signed by Championship side Stoke City. His first season with Stoke was cut down due to injuries which hampered his time at the club. He left for Crystal Palace after making 84 appearances for Stoke in five years. At Palace he played well despite the club struggling financially and when manager Neil Warnock joined Queens Park Rangers Hill followed him in July 2010. In his first season at Loftus Road QPR won the Championship and gained promotion to the Premier League. They went on to ensure survival on the final day of the season, Hill winning the supporters player of the year award for his performances this despite playing 25 matches and also spending a short time on loan at Nottingham Forest.

Club career

Tranmere Rovers

Born in Huyton, Merseyside, Hill began his career as a trainee at Tranmere Rovers, where he made his debut during a 2–2 draw against Nottingham Forest in the 1997–98 season. By the 1998–99 season Hill had become a regular starter in the Tranmere side and was part of the team which played in the 2000 League Cup final at Wembley against Leicester City, however Hill was sent off during the game and Tranmere lost the match 2–1. Hill made 140 appearances during his five years in the Tranmere first team.

Oldham Athletic

A £250,000 move to Oldham Athletic in 2002[2] saw him make just 17 league starts in one season before it was cut short when Hill broke his leg during a League Cup tie against Crystal Palace in December 2002, which kept him sidelined for the remainder of the 2002–03 season. Hill scored one league goal for the Latics, ironically against Tranmere.[3] Hill was then given a £120,000 move to Stoke City during the summer of 2003.[4]

Stoke City

Hill's first season at Stoke City was disrupted with injury and he was forced to sit out a lot of the 2003–04 season,[5] making only nine first team starts and three substitute appearances. However Hill impressed during his second season at Stoke with his defensive ability and won the club's player of the year award for the 2004–05 season.

However Hill's career at Stoke since has been hindered by recurring knee injuries, he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament towards the end of the 2004–05 season which prevented him from playing again until late into the 2005–06 season,[6] however he made an immediate impact on his return, forging a strong partnership with Michael Duberry in central defence.

He found himself unable to hold down a regular first place during the 2006–07 season, with Danny Higginbotham and Michael Duberry preferred to him as first choice central defenders and Andy Griffin occupying the left-back slot. He played the majority of his appearances during the 2006–07 season as a stand-in left-back. However Hill's season was brought to a premature end when he required a further operation on the same knee he injured in 2005.

He remained at Stoke for the first half of the following season, although he joined Crystal Palace on loan in October. Ironically, his last outing for Stoke was a late appearance as a substitute in a victory at Palace.

Crystal Palace

Hill playing for Crystal Palace in 2008

Hill's move to join Neil Warnock's Eagles was for an initial period of two months. After impressing hugely, he then made the move permanent for an undisclosed fee in January 2008.[7] He established himself as first choice left back, and became a fan's favourite due to his professional and committed attitude. After an extremely successful first season at Palace, where they made the Play-off semi-finals, Hill continued his superb consistency in the 2008–09 season. Despite his performances, Palace finished in a disappointing 15th place in the Championship table.[8] An equally disappointing season 2009–10 witnessed Palace in severe financial plight with a consequential ten points deduction and a final position in the division of 21st.[9]

Queens Park Rangers

On 1 July 2010, Hill left Palace on a free transfer to join Queens Park Rangers[10] and reunited with his former boss Neil Warnock. On 7 August 2010, Hill made his QPR debut in a 4–0 win over Barnsley where he got his first clean sheet. Hill scored his first goal for QPR against Portsmouth on 1 February 2011.[11] Hill played over thirty games for the Hoops and made the left back position firmly his. He scored his second goal for QPR in a 2–0 home win against Ipswich Town, in a game where he also set up a goal for Heidar Helguson to seal the win.[12]

After QPR sealed the Championship title, Hill was able to play in the Premier League for the first time in his career. However, he was sent off on the opening day of the season for a headbutt on Martin Petrov of Bolton Wanderers in a 4–0 defeat at Loftus Road.[13] On 20 September 2011, Hill signed for Nottingham Forest on a 93-day emergency loan deal,[14][15] given squad number three.[16] Due to injuries to Matthew Connolly and Danny Gabbidon, Hill was recalled early from his loan spell at Forest.[17][18] Hill played for Forest five times. After his return from the loan spell, and the appointment of Mark Hughes as manager, Hill became a regular in the Rangers starting 11, forming a strong central defensive parnership with Anton Ferdinand. On 10 March 2012, Hill was denied what would have been his first Premier League goal when his header away to relegation rivals Bolton clearly crossed the line, but the linesman failed to spot this and a goal was not awarded. QPR went on to lose the game 2–1. Hill was 'gutted' about have been denied a first Premier League goal.

"It would have been my first Premier League goal. You try all your career to get into this league and I thought I had opened my account – but unfortunately they didn't see it. I knew straight away it was a goal. You could even see by the reaction of their team that it was a goal. I'm gutted by that decision."
—Hill spoke out to have been denied a first Premier League goal.[19]

At the end of the 2011–12 season QPR survived on the final day of the season despite a 3–2 defeat to Manchester City. Hill was awarded both the fans and players player of the season awards for his outstanding performances for Rangers in the 2011–12 season.[20] Hill's contract was due to expire in the summer of 2012 however Hill was keen to stay at Loftus Road.[21] In May 2012, Hill was offered a new contract by QPR.[22] On 19 June 2012 Clint signed a new one-year contract extension at the club till 2013.[23]

The 2012–13 season saw Hill in and out of the starting 11 under Mark Hughes, however he has been ever present in the team since Harry Redknapp took over as manager with Rangers in deep relegation trouble. He was handed the captaincy by Redknapp taking over from Park Ji-Sung.[24] QPR failed to moved out of the relegation zone and were relegated to the Championship after a 0–0 draw at Reading on 28 April 2013.[25]

Hill remained captain for the 2013–14 season. He started games at both centre-back and left-back, scoring his first goal in 2 and a half years in the 1-0 win away to Leeds at Elland Road. He scored the winning goal once again on November 2nd in a 2-1 victory over Derby County.

Career statistics

As of 19 May 2013[26]
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Tranmere Rovers 1997–98 First Division 1403100–171
1998–99 First Division 3340050–384
1999–2000 First Division 2951062–367
2000–01 First Division 3453061–436
2001–02 Second Division 302501000362
Total 140161311830017120
Oldham Athletic 2002–03 Second Division 181204020261
Total 181204020261
Stoke City 2003–04 First Division 1200000–120
2004–05 Championship 3210010–331
2005–06 Championship 1301000–140
2006–07 Championship 1821010–202
2007–08 Championship 500000–50
Total 803202000843
Crystal Palace 2007–08 Championship 283010020314
2008–09 Championship 4313120–482
2009–10 Championship 4313020–481
Total 11456220201247
Queens Park Rangers 2010–11 Championship 4421000–452
2011–12 Premier League 2203000–250
2012–13 Premier League 3102010–330
2013–14 Championship 1420020–162
Total 10236030001113
Nottingham Forest (loan) 2011–12 Championship 500000–50
Total 5000000050
Career Total 459282932934052134
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy and Football League play-offs.

Honours

Club

Tranmere Rovers
Queens Park Rangers

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Hugman, Barry J. (ed) (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8. 
  2. ↑ "Hill seals Oldham move". BBC Sport. 15 July 2002. Retrieved 7 August 2007. 
  3. ↑ "Oldham 2–0 Tranmere". BBC Sport. 24 August 2002. Retrieved 17 February 2010. 
  4. ↑ "Hill joins Oldham exodus". BBC Sport. 15 July 2003. Retrieved 7 August 2007. 
  5. ↑ "Stoke suffer Hill heartache". BBC Sport. 4 December 2003. Retrieved 7 August 2007. 
  6. ↑ "Hill knee surgery shock for Stoke". BBC Sport. 19 May 2005. Retrieved 7 August 2007. 
  7. ↑ "Hill makes Palace move permanent". BBC Sport. 16 January 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2008. 
  8. ↑ "Championship 2008/09". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
  9. ↑ "Championship 2009/10". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
  10. ↑ "Defender Clint Hill completes QPR move". BBC Sport. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2011. 
  11. ↑ Speck, Ivan (2 February 2011). "QPR 2 Portsmouth 0: Taarabt turns roaming Ranger". Daily Mail. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  12. ↑ Rej, Arindam (22 February 2011). "Clint Hill proves a gem for QPR after prising open Ipswich strongbox". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  13. ↑ Dawkes, Phil (13 August 2011). "QPR 0–4 Bolton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 September 2011. 
  14. ↑ "Reds Swoop For Hill". nottinghamforest.co.uk (Nottingham Forest F.C.). 20 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2011. 
  15. ↑ "Nottingham Forest agree loan deal for QPR's Clint Hill". BBC Sport. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2011. 
  16. ↑ "Breaking The Sound Barrier". nottinghamforest.co.uk (Nottingham Forest F.C.). 23 September 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011. 
  17. ↑ "QPR Recall Hill". nottinghamforest.co.uk (Nottingham Forest F.C.). 22 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
  18. ↑ "Hill Returns To W12". qpr.co.uk (Queens Park Rangers F.C.). 22 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
  19. ↑ "Hill laments 'ghost goal'". Sky Sports. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012. 
  20. ↑ "Clint Clinches Awards Double". qpr.co.uk (Queens Park Rangers F.C.). 15 May 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2012. 
  21. ↑ "Clint Hill keen to extend Queens Park Rangers stay". BBC Sport. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012. 
  22. ↑ "Kieron Dyer signs new one-year contract with QPR". BBC Sport. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012. 
  23. ↑ "QPR defender Clint Hill signs new one-year contract". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 September 2012. 
  24. ↑ "QPR hand Clint Hill captain's role". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  25. ↑ "Reading 0–0 QPR". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  26. ↑ "Clint Hill". Soccerbase. Retrieved 1 September 2013. 

External links

Queens Park Rangers F.C. – current squad
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