Alan Hutton (born 30 November 1984) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a right back.
Hutton started his career with Rangers, and won the league title in 2005. He moved to English football with Tottenham Hotspur in 2008, and helped them win the League Cup later that year. After a loan spell with Sunderland in 2010, Hutton joined Aston Villa in 2011. He initially struggled with Villa, and was loaned to Mallorca, Nottingham Forest and Bolton Wanderers. Hutton then enjoyed a renaissance with Villa, where his defensive exploits earned him the moniker "The Scottish Cafu".[6][7][8][9] He left the club after helping them win promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, making over 200 appearances for the club.
He made twelve appearances during 2004–05 as the club won both the Scottish Premier League title and the Scottish League Cup. He broke his leg in February 2005 whilst playing in a league match against Kilmarnock, and was sidelined for eight months.[12]
The 2005–06 season proved to be difficult for Rangers domestically, and Hutton only made 23 appearances in the first team, competing with DutchmanFernando Ricksen for the right back position. He signed a new five-year contract with Rangers in the summer of 2007.[13]
During the January transfer window in the 2007–08 season, Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur made a bid, believed to be in the £5 million region, for Hutton. He initially rejected the chance to join Spurs,[18] and did so again when they improved their offer.[19] The protracted transfer was finally completed on 30 January 2008, with the fee reported to be in the region of £9 million.[20][21] He made his Spurs debut on 2 February in a 1–1 draw with Manchester United.[22] Hutton was cup-tied for the remainder of Spurs' UEFA Cup campaign.[23] In just his third appearance for the club he played as Tottenham won the 2008 Football League Cup Final against Chelsea.[24]
Loan to Sunderland
On 1 February 2010, Hutton signed for Sunderland on loan until the end of the season,[25] and made his debut in the 1–1 draw with Wigan Athletic. On 24 April 2010, he was shown a red card for a clash with Jozy Altidore. Sunderland and Hutton were keen to make the move permanent,[26] however they were unwilling to pay the fee that Spurs were demanding.[27]
After Sunderland failed to sign Hutton on a permanent deal, he returned to Spurs, scored in the opening game of the season, and won a penalty, allowing newly signed Rafael van der Vaart to convert and score Tottenham's first goal in the match, a 3–1 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He since started and played the full 90 minutes against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a 2–0 Premier League defeat. At the end of the 2010–11 season, he made 26 appearances for Spurs in all competitions.[citation needed] The next appearance, Hutton scored again, as Tottenham Hotspur lost to Bolton Wanderers. He was Tottenham's first choice right-back for the majority of the 2010–11 season, often being preferred to Croatian international Vedran Ćorluka on the right hand side of the Spurs defence. Hutton was also an important fixture in Tottenham's 2010–11 UEFA Champions League campaign that saw them reach the quarter-finals, including being part of the team that produced a memorable 3–1 victory over European championsInternazionale.[28] However, his season ended in April, after suffering a knee injury, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.[29]
However, at the beginning of the 2011–12 season, Tottenham Hotspur right-back Kyle Walker was regularly chosen ahead of Hutton in defence following his return from a loan spell away at Villa Park. Hutton was heavily linked with a £3 million transfer to Aston Villa, the club that Walker had recently returned from.[30] After joining Aston Villa, Hutton made accusations towards Harry Redknapp of making his life a misery by training with the youth side and that he was treated as an 'outcast' during his three years spell at Tottenham Hotspur.[31]
Aston Villa
On 31 August 2011, Aston Villa confirmed that they had signed Hutton on a four-year contract in a deal thought to be worth £40,000 a week to Hutton, along with fellow Tottenham player Jermaine Jenas, who arrived on loan.[32] This move reunited Hutton with Alex McLeish, one of his former managers at Rangers.
Upon joining Villa, Hutton said that the club was the 'only place he wanted to go'.[33]
Hutton made his debut for Aston Villa on 10 September in a 2–2 draw away at Everton. Hutton also took part in Villa's 2–1 defeat to local rivals West Brom, where a tackle on Shane Long injured Long's knee keeping him out for six weeks. The tackle received no punishment during the game but later sparked a retrospective debate as to the fairness of the challenge. After the match his tackle was labelled 'vicious' by West Brom manager Roy Hodgson.[34] Hutton was defended by Villa assistant manager Peter Grant, who insisted that Hutton is not a dirty player.[35] McLeish also came out in support of Hutton, as well as expressing sympathy for Long.[36] Later in the season Hutton's fiery reputation continued, as he was shown a second yellow card and sent off in Villa's 2–1 defeat at home to Arsenal on 21 December.
Hutton's first season at Villa Park was disappointing, and his future at the club remained in doubt during the close season. The speculation intensified when new Villa manager Paul Lambert signed Sheffield United right-back Matthew Lowton on 6 July 2012. Ten days later, Hutton was left out of the 25-man squad chosen to represent the club on the pre-season tour of the United States.[37] Having been left out of the first team, Hutton admitted that he found himself in a difficult situation, but said that he hoped to force himself back into first-team contention.[38]
Loan to Nottingham Forest
Having his first team opportunities limited at Aston Villa, Hutton joined Nottingham Forest on an emergency loan, until 2 January 2013, making him available for nine matches.[39] Upon his loan move, Chairman Omar Al Hasawi described Hutton's move to Nottingham Forest, as a "big asset".[40] Two days later, Hutton made his debut, making a quick impact by providing an assist for Billy Sharp to score the opener, as Nottingham Forest beat Wolves 2–1. Hutton established himself, playing right back in defence and played all the matches until his loan spell ended.[41]
Loan to Mallorca
On 29 January 2013, Hutton was loaned out to Spanish side Mallorca until the end of the season.[42] On 3 February 2013, Hutton made his debut, playing at right-back, in a 3–0 loss against Real Sociedad. The club were relegated, but despite this, Hutton expressed a desire to stay at the club next season. On 30 June 2013, Hutton's loan spell with Mallorca came to an end.[43] The club then tried to sign Hutton, this time on a permanent basis.[44] However, the move never materialised as the club could not afford a permanent deal.[45]
Loan to Bolton
On 28 February 2014, he completed an emergency loan move to Football League Championship side Bolton Wanderers.[46] He will spend an initial 28-day spell at the Reebok Stadium. He was on the bench for their next two games and made his Wanderers debut on 11 March 2014 in a goalless draw with Derby County at Pride Park.[47] Bolton extended his loan deal at the club until the end of the 2013–14 season after he made a good impression in his first few games for the club.
Return to Aston Villa
Hutton (right) holds Moussa Sissoko in an FA Cup tie with former club Spurs, 2017
Following his various loan spells, Hutton returned to Villa in 2014 and earned a surprise recall in a 3–1 pre-season friendly win over Mansfield Town on 18 July, putting in a good performance and assisting the equalising goal scored by Darren Bent, who had also returned following a massive absence from selection.[48] Hutton's good pre-season form continued, and once the new Premier League season began he found himself as first choice right back again. On 16 September, after a strong start to the season both for Hutton personally and for Aston Villa, Hutton capped off a remarkable turnaround in his Villa career by signing a new 3-year contract at the club.[49] He scored his first Villa goal against Leicester City on the half volley in December 2014.
He started and completed the 2015 FA Cup Final, a 4–0 defeat to Arsenal,[50] and featured regularly (28 appearances) as Aston Villa finished bottom and were relegated from the Premier League the following season.[51] On 14 June 2018, Hutton signed a new contract to remain at Villa Park until 2019.[52] Hutton scored in a Second City derby win against Birmingham City on 25 November 2018, running from inside his own half before finishing with his left foot.[53]
Hutton was released by Aston Villa at the end of the 2018–19 season.[54] On 19 February 2020, he announced his retirement from professional football.[55]
Along with his then-Rangers teammate Charlie Adam, Hutton was called up by manager Alex McLeish to the Scotland squad for the first time on 11 May 2007 for a friendly against Austria and a Euro 2008 qualifying match against the Faroe Islands.[56] He made his international debut against Austria on 30 May 2007, coming on as a substitute.[57] Hutton made his competitive debut against Lithuania in September 2007.[58] Hutton was part of the Scotland team that beat France at Parc des Princes in September 2007.[59]
Hutton won his 50th cap in March 2016, in a 1–0 win against Czech Republic.[60] Scotland manager Gordon Strachan said in November 2016 that Hutton had retired from international football.[60]
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