Robert Huth

Personal information
Full name	Robert Huth
Date of birth	18 August 1984 (1984-08-18) (age 25)
Place of birth	East Berlin, East Germany
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Stoke City
Number	4
Youth career
0000–2000	VfB Fortuna Biesdorf
2000–2001	Union Berlin
2001–2002	Chelsea
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2006	Chelsea	42	(2)
2006–2009	Middlesbrough	53	(2)
2009–	Stoke City	8	(1)
National team‡
2004–2005	Germany U21	4	(0)
2004–	Germany	19	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:39, 8 November 2009 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 3 June 2009

Robert Huth (born 18 August 1984) is a German footballer currently playing for Stoke City. He was signed for Chelsea from the youth system of German club Union Berlin in 2001 by then Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. He is often referred to as "The Unstoppable Force", "The Friendly One" or "The Berlin Wall".

[edit] Club career

[edit] Chelsea

Huth made his debut for Chelsea at the age of 17 in the last game of the 2001–02 season, coming on as a sub at the half-time in a 3–1 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa. From 2001 to 2005, Huth was very much a fringe player at Chelsea, serving as an understudy to John Terry, Marcel Desailly, and William Gallas.

When the 2005–06 season started, Huth's chances of becoming a first choice player at Chelsea in the near future seemed limited as there were three world class central defenders ahead of him in the Chelsea squad. Terry, Gallas, and Portuguese international centre-back Ricardo Carvalho (who had replaced Desailly) were the preferred central defenders for Chelsea manager José Mourinho, who had succeeded Ranieri in the summer of 2004. Mourinho did, however, reject a bid for Huth from German club Bayern Munich in the summer of 2005.

[edit] Middlesbrough

On 13 July 2006, a proposed transfer to Middlesbrough was scuppered when Huth failed a medical.^[1] Middlesbrough continued to track Huth and on 31 August that year Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb stated that he expected to sign him that day, reportedly for £6,000,000 on a five-year contract.^[2] After much speculation that the transfer may not go through as a result of William Gallas' departure, and with Chelsea heavily involved in the transfer of Ashley Cole from Arsenal, there was speculation and also a bit of a mystery if the final paperwork would be signed in time for the transfer deadline. Eventually the transfer was confirmed. He scored his first Boro goal in a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on 5 December 2006.^[3]

In an interview after his unveiling, Huth admitted he was nervous about the deal not being completed, after it was revealed Peter Kenyon had not signed Chelsea's end of the deal.

After injury trouble and a therefore disappointing first season, he made an impressive return to the first team in a Premier League away match against Portsmouth on 29 December, 2007. He was nominated Man of the Match by the Middlesbrough website.

After the departure of Jonathan Woodgate to Tottenham Hotspur Huth was paired in central defense with David Wheater. On 3 February Huth scored against Newcastle United to earn a point against Kevin Keegan's team.^[4] Following Middlesbrough's relegation from Premier League in the 2008–09 season, Huth was named captain of the squad, following Emmanuel Pogatetz's long term injury.

[edit] Stoke City

On 27 August 2009, Huth signed a for Stoke City for £5 million.^[5] He made his Stoke debut in a 1–0 win over Sunderland on 29 August 2009, replacing goalscorer Dave Kitson.^[6] He celebrated his 100th League appearance by scoring his first Stoke goal on 4 October 2009 against Everton.^[7] On 17th October 2009 during a match against West Ham United, Huth punched Hammers defender Matthew Upson in the face, though he received no card from the referee.^[8] On 19th October 2009, Huth was charged by the FA for the incident.^[9] He admitted his guilt the following day, and apologised for the incident ^[10] Huth was subsequently suspended for three matches by the FA.^[11]

[edit] International career

Huth is a viable option in dead-ball situations due to the tremendous power with which he can kick the ball. From a young age, Huth was already a member of the German national team. He also played at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. Together with Per Mertesacker, he was the first-choice central defenders for Germany at the 2005 Confederations Cup.

On 29 June 2005, he scored his first goal for Germany in a 4–3 extra-time win against Mexico during the third-place play-off at the 2005 Confederations Cup. He has scored 2 goals in 17 games for Germany, as of June 2006. His second goal for Germany came in a 4–1 defeat to Italy in a friendly game played in Florence in March 2006.

Huth was recalled to the German national team for the first time since the 2006 World Cup in a friendly against Switzerland on 20 March 2008, because of his recent club form.^[12] He was later ruled out after suffering from a foot injury.

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] Honours

• FA Premier League: 2005, 2006

[edit] Third place

• Confederations Cup: 2005
• World Cup: 2006

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career stats at Fussballdaten.de (German)
• Robert Huth career stats at Soccerbase

v • d • e Germany squad – 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place 1 Kahn • 2 Hinkel • 3 Friedrich • 4 Huth • 5 Owomoyela • 6 Engelhardt • 7 Schweinsteiger • 8 Frings • 9 Hanke • 10 Deisler • 11 Brdarić • 12 Lehmann • 13 Ballack • 14 Asamoah • 15 Ernst • 16 Hitzlsperger • 17 Mertesacker • 18 Borowski • 19 Schneider • 20 Podolski • 21 Schulz • 22 Kurányi • 23 Hildebrand • Coach: Klinsmann

v • d • e Germany squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup Third Place 1 Lehmann • 2 Jansen • 3 Friedrich • 4 Huth • 5 Kehl • 6 Nowotny • 7 Schweinsteiger • 8 Frings • 9 Hanke • 10 Neuville • 11 Klose • 12 Kahn • 13 Ballack • 14 Asamoah • 15 Hitzlsperger • 16 Lahm • 17 Mertesacker • 18 Borowski • 19 Schneider • 20 Podolski • 21 Metzelder • 22 Odonkor • 23 Hildebrand • Coach: Klinsmann