Tony Hibbert facts for kids
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Hibbert training with Everton in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony James Hibbert | ||
| Date of birth | 20 February 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1999 | Everton | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2016 | Everton | 265 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Anthony James Hibbert (born 20 February 1981) is a former English football player. He was known for playing his entire professional career with one team, Everton.
Tony Hibbert started as a midfielder but later became a right-back. He joined Everton in 1991 as a young player. He played his first senior game for Everton in 2001. Over his career, he played 328 games for the club. Because he stayed with Everton his whole career, fans saw him as a special "one-club man" and a "cult hero". He stopped playing professionally in 2016. However, he returned to play for an amateur club in France in 2021.
Contents
Tony Hibbert's Football Journey
Early Days at Everton
Tony Hibbert was born in Liverpool, England. He grew up in Huyton and was a big fan of Everton. He joined the club as a boy. In 1998, he was part of the Everton youth team that won the FA Youth Cup. They beat Blackburn Rovers 5–3 over two games.
Three years later, on March 31, 2001, Tony played his first game for the senior team. This was a Premier League match against West Ham United. During this game, Everton earned a penalty kick after a challenge on Hibbert.
Becoming a Regular Player
In 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, he was rated as the best English right-back.
He faced some challenges with injuries. He missed the end of the 2005–06 season due to a hernia. His preparation for the 2006–07 season was also affected by an illness. Despite this, he played regularly in the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons.
A Cult Hero for Fans
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.
What made him a "cult hero" was his loyalty to the club and a funny fact: he had never scored a goal in a professional game! Fans even displayed a banner at the 2009 FA Cup semi-final that said, "If Hibbert Scores, We Riot."
A Special Goal and Farewell
After 10 years of playing for Everton, Tony Hibbert had a special "testimonial match" on August 8, 2012. This game was against the Greek team AEK Athens. In this match, Tony Hibbert scored Everton's fourth goal with a free kick! The crowd was so excited that many fans ran onto the field to celebrate. Everton won the game 4–1.
The 2012–13 season was tough for Hibbert due to injuries. He had neck and calf problems. He only played a few games before needing surgery on his calf. He returned for the final home game of the season. This was also the last home game for manager David Moyes, who was leaving to join Manchester United. Tony Hibbert was the only player left at the club who had been part of Moyes' first team.
Later Career and Retirement
In the 2013–14 season, another player, Séamus Coleman, played very well at right-back. This meant Tony Hibbert did not play much, only making one league appearance. Even so, the new manager, Roberto Martínez, wanted to offer Hibbert a new contract. In July 2014, he signed a two-year deal with Everton.
Tony Hibbert played very little in the next two seasons. At the end of the 2015–16 season, he left Everton after 25 years with the club, 18 of those as a professional player. He announced his retirement from professional football soon after.
In April 2017, he joined an amateur team called Hares FC. After moving to France, Tony Hibbert registered to play as a veteran for the amateur club ES Louzy in November 2021.
International Appearances
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.
Life Outside Football
In 2006, Tony Hibbert's home was broken into. In 2013, he bought a large fishing lake in France, near Reims. This lake is 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 Senior Team
- FA Cup runner-up: 2008–09 (This means his team reached the final but did not win the cup.)
See also
In Spanish: Tony Hibbert para niños
- List of one-club men (Players who spent their entire professional career with one club)
