Darren Huckerby

Darren Huckerby, Carl ( born April 23 1976 in Nottingham ) is a former English footballer. The striker completed for Norwich City over 200 league games and was active for the San Jose Earthquakes in the North American Major League Soccer.

Sports career

The first years (1993-1999)

Huckerby started his professional career at Lincoln City and moved in November 1995 to much larger Newcastle United. There, however, he fell through his athletic attempts to break through and after a little eventful year, which included a Leihphase at FC Millwall, hired the young attacker for a transfer transfer fee in the amount of one million pounds at Coventry City on.

In that time, coached by Gordon Strachan Club takes up his dribbling and strong striker made ​​an effective Angreiferduo with Dion Dublin. When ultimately successful relegation battle in the Premier League season 1996/ 97, which ended with a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur, Huckerby was a key player at first. The development curve showed in the "Sky Blues" further up, as he succeeded in a series of ten games without defeat and move into the FA Cup quarter-finals. In addition, he scored 14 league goals in the 1997/98 season, including the 3-2 winner against Manchester United, which in his career, the best goal tally in the Premier League remained.

Setbacks (1999-2003)

In summer 1999, Huckerby, who had previously been a year in the English national team for the B- part, made the supposedly next stage of development, as he is - hired at Leeds United six million pounds - according to media reports. The lasting until December 2000 "Between episode" at Elland Road was, however, extremely disappointing and in 40 league encounters reach him only two goals, including a goal against his former club Coventry City. For this purpose, however, was the fact that he gives the high-profile competition in the person of Mark Viduka, Alan Smith and Michael Bridges never permanently in the root formation had been able to play and had stood only in eleven Premier League games in the starting eleven. A few highlights were granted to him in the European Cup, including goals against Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Cup ( 1-0) and against Beşiktaş Istanbul in the Champions League ( 6-0 ) scored.

For more than three million pounds of it was in December 2000 to Manchester City, but where he could not achieve the desired Erstligaklassenerhalt. Considerably more successful he was in the second division season 2001 /02 when he scored 26 Goals in official matches and the club returned on the championship title in the Premier League. Although Huckerby there scored the first goal of the season his club, attended the obligations of Nicolas Anelka and Jon Macken in the season 2002 /03 that Huckerby lost his place and was loaned in February 2003 to the end of the current season at Nottingham Forest.

Norwich City (2003-2008)

At the beginning of the season 2003 /04 Huckerby hired on loan at Norwich City and signed there in December 2003, a permanent contract. The transfer fee was initially 750,000 pounds and grew up following the successful ascent of a million pounds to. Behind Craig Fleming he was elected to the promotion round 2003/ 04 within the Association as the second best player of the year and in the 2004/ 05 Premier League season, he established himself in his new club more on the slightly retracted left wing position.

Despite the decline of the " Canaries " in 2005 Huckerby was a very popular player, which is reflected in the numerous awards for the best club Player of the Year (2005, 2007) and expressed in the early care of the "Hall of Fame " at the notes contained therein. On 4 May 2008 he played in the 1:4 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday the last game for Norwich City, since it was opened two days later that his expiring contract should not be renewed.

Career finale (2008-2009)

In July 2008, Huckerby left his home to face the San Jose Earthquakes to join in the North American Major League Soccer. He found there also along well, leading the club to a series of seven games without defeat and in 2008 was honored with the award for " best newcomer in the league". However, the 2009 season was put under a worse rating and after a hip operation had Huckerby his sporting career to an end.