Hulse: Robert William (Rob)

2005-2006 (Player Details)

Striker

Born: Crewe: 25-10-1979

Debut: Reading (h): 12-02-2005

6’1” 12st 4lb (2006)

Hulse began his career at his home town club of Crewe Alexandra, having been part of the club's youth system since he was nine years old. Unfortunately, a sudden spurt in height during his late teens left him with a serious back injury and was sidelined for around twelve months. When he returned to fitness, he was given a two month loan to then Unibond League side Hyde United where he scored nine goals in eleven appearances during the 1999-2000 season. The successful loan spell led to Hulse's first team debut for Crewe, in their 1-0 win over Norwich City. It took him a further three appearances to score his first goal for the club, which was in the club's 2-0 away win over Barnsley. He quickly became a fans' favourite at Crewe, thanks to his high work-rate and finishing the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons as the club's top goal-scorer with eleven and twelve goals respectively. The club were relegated at the end of the 2001-02 season, but Hulse, along with Dean Ashton and Rodney Jack, proved to be too much for fellow Division Two defences to handle in 2002-03. He finished as the club's top goal-scorer for the third season in succession, scoring twenty-seven goals. His performances during the season earned him the club's “Player of the Year” award as well as appearing in the PFA Division Two Team of the Year. Despite Crewe's promotion back to Division One, Hulse rejected a new contract at Crewe and manager Dario Gradi decided to sell him instead of letting him go on a Bosman. He had scored fifty-one goals in one hundred and thirty-one appearances, twenty-one as a substitute, in all games while at Gresty Road. A whole host of clubs were interested in him. Fellow promoted club, Cardiff City, were close to signing him for a fee believed to be in a region of £750,000, but the striker didn't wish to sign for the Blue Birds. It was West Bromwich Albion that would secure the signing of the young striker for a fee of £750,000. Hulse made his debut for the Baggies in their 4-1 defeat at Walsall, but scored his first goal for the club in the 4-0 home win over Brentford. He played a key role in the club's promotion challenge prior to having a stomach injury during the Christmas period. After recovering from this injury, he made a further nineteen appearances, scoring a single goal. Despite his influential role in the previous year's promotion campaign, Hulse was given little chance to prove himself in the top flight, this was because of the summer signings of Robert Earnshaw, Geoff Horsfield and Nwankwo Kanu. Hulse played seven games for West Brom during the 2004-05 season, scoring no goals in any of the games. Having played only a mediocre amount of games in comparison to his fellow strikers at West Brom, Hulse decided to join Leeds on 4th February 2005, on loan for the final three months of the 2004-05 campaign in favour of a £1.2 million switch to Stoke City. He scored thirteen League goals in forty-six games at the Hawthorns. His debut for Leeds was spectacular, scoring two individual goals struck from outside the box against high-flying Reading. The success of the loan spell led to a £1.1m transfer to Leeds. Hulse scored twenty goals in fifty-one games. He was the club's top scorer with fourteen goals in the 2005-06 season, despite being in competition with several forwards including Robbie Blake, David Healy and Richard Cresswell for a place in the side as well as playing with an ankle injury during the start of the season. With Leeds failing to gain promotion to the EPL, Hulse's ambition led him elsewhere and in July 2006, Leeds accepted a bid of £2.2 million from Sheffield United, who beat Norwich City to Hulse's signature and a three year contract. Hulse scored on his debut for the Blades against the high flying Liverpool. It was the first goal of the 2006-07 EPL season. Unfortunately for Hulse and the Blades, Liverpool managed to equalise through a Robbie Fowler penalty. With goals against Reading, Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic, Hulse was the Blades' leading goal-scorer by December 2006. He scored his eighth goal of the season at home to Everton on 3rd March 2007. But misfortune struck on 17th March 2007 at Stamford Bridge, when Hulse and Chelsea’s goalkeeper Petr Cech challenged for the ball as a low cross from Keith Gillespie cross and as the keeper raced out to smother his effort and in the collision Hulse's ankle appeared to snap beneath him. On 20th March, it was confirmed that Hulse had fractured his left leg in two places and he underwent surgery. His season over, he still finished up as United's top scorer in the EPL with eight League goals. Hulse returned to the squad in December 2007 after nine months out, but despite making twenty-four appearances he failed to score a goal. In June 2008 Derby County showed interest in signing Hulse and he eventually left Bramall Lane on 21st June for £1.75 million on a three year contract. In his time at Bramall Lane he scored eight League goals in thirty-eight starts and twelve games from the bench and also made three substitute apearances in the F.A. Cup. He made his debut on 9th August 2008 at home to Doncaster Rovers and scored his first goal for the Rams on 13th September 2008 against his former club at Pride Park. His form picked up in October when he netted four times in five games. He finished the season as the club's leading goalscorer and won both the club supporters and the players "Player of the Year" award. In the 2009-10 his early season was disrupted by injury and he did not score his first goal until 15th November 2009 but quickly notched his one hundredth League goal against Sheffield Wednesday. His run of good form was brought to a halt when a mixture of injuries and loss of form saw the goals dry up. He was, however still very much in demand and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and Stoke City all had offers turned down in the January transfer window. He returned to the Derby starting line-up and soon hit the form that made him the club's leading goalscorer with twelve goals, which would have been more had he not been out from injury which required surgery. At the End of the 2009-10 season he had scored twenty-seven League goals in seventy-two starts and nine games from the bench, scored three goals in the F.A. Cup from six starts and one game as a substitute and failed to find the net in five starts and one game from the bench in the League Cup. Now in the last season of his contract, Derby received enquiries from Burnley and Queens Park Rangers, as well as his old club, Leeds United, but Derby resisted the temptation to cash in.