Tony Hibbert facts for kids
Hibbert training with Everton in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 February 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 1.73 m | ||
| Playing position | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1999 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2016 | Everton | 265 | (0) |
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Anthony James Hibbert (born 20 February 1981) is an English former football player. He played his whole professional career for Everton.
Tony Hibbert started as a midfielder but later became a right-back. He joined Everton in 1991 when he was a boy. He played his first senior game for Everton in 2001. He went on to play 328 games for the club.
Because he played for only one club his whole career, fans saw him as a "cult hero." This means he was very popular and respected by Everton supporters. He stopped playing in 2016 but returned in 2021 to play for an amateur team in France.
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Tony Hibbert's Football Journey
Tony Hibbert was born in Liverpool and grew up in Huyton. He was a big fan of Everton Football Club from a young age. He joined the club's youth team.
In 1998, he helped the Everton youth team win the FA Youth Cup. They beat Blackburn Rovers 5–3 over two games. Three years later, on March 31, 2001, he played his first game for the main team. This was a Premier League match against West Ham United.
Becoming a Regular Player
During the 2002–03 season, Tony Hibbert became a regular player for Everton. This happened after another right-back got injured. He played so well that in the 2004–05 season, many thought he was one of the best English right-backs.
He had some tough times with injuries. In 2005–06, he missed games because of a hernia problem. In 2006–07, he got sick from a parasite, which affected his season. But he played regularly again in the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons.
A Club Legend and No Goals!
By the start of the 2010–11 season, Tony Hibbert was Everton's longest-serving player. He was the only player who had been at the club for the entire time David Moyes was manager. He also played in more European games for Everton than any other player.
Something special about Hibbert was that he had never scored a goal in a professional game. This, along with his loyalty to the club, made him a "cult hero" to the fans. They even had a funny banner at a game that said, "If Hibbert Scores, We Riot!"
His Special Testimonial Match
After playing for Everton for 10 years, Tony Hibbert had a special match just for him. This is called a testimonial match. It was played on August 8, 2012, against a Greek team called AEK Athens.
In this game, Tony Hibbert scored Everton's fourth goal from a free kick! The crowd went wild, and many fans even ran onto the field to celebrate with him. Everton won the game 4–1.
Later Years and Retirement
The 2012–13 season was hard for Hibbert because of many injuries. He had neck and calf problems that kept him out for a long time. He only played a few games that season.
When manager David Moyes left Everton, Tony Hibbert was the only player left from Moyes' first team. Another player, Séamus Coleman, started playing very well at right-back. This meant Hibbert played less in the next few seasons.
Even though he didn't play much, Everton offered him a new contract in 2014. He signed a two-year deal. At the end of the 2015–16 season, after 25 years with the club (18 as a professional), he left Everton. He then announced he was retiring from football.
In 2017, he played for an amateur team called Hares FC. After moving to France, he started playing for another amateur club, ES Louzy, in 2021.
Playing for England
Tony Hibbert was chosen to play for the England under-21 team in October 2002. This was for games against Slovakia and Macedonia. However, he could not play in either game because of a hamstring injury.
Tony Hibbert's Life Outside Football
In 2006, Tony Hibbert's home was broken into. In 2013, he bought a large fishing lake in France. It's called Lac de Premiere and is used for carp fishing.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Everton | 2000–01 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 17 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 265 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 328 | 0 | ||
Awards and Achievements
Everton Youth Team
- FA Youth Cup: 1997–98
Everton Football Club
- FA Cup runner-up: 2008–09 (Everton reached the final but didn't win)
See also
In Spanish: Tony Hibbert para niños
- Players who played for only one club
