Sam Hutchinson

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Sam Hutchinson
0Full Name	Samuel Edward Hutchinson
0Date of Birth	3 August 1989
0Place of Birth	Slough, Berkshire
0Position	Defender
0Chelsea career	1997 - 2014
0Debut	13 May 2007
0Games (goals)	6 (0)
0Other clubs	Nottingham Forest (loan) Vitesse Arnhem (loan) Sheffield Wednesday (loan)

Samuel Edward "Sam" Hutchinson (born 3 August 1989) is an English defender who made six appearances for Chelsea between 2007 and 2012, having joined the club as a seven year-old. He made his debut at the end of the 2006-07 season but suffered serious knee problems that led to him retiring from the game in 2010 having made four appearances for the first team. He remained at Chelsea following retirement from playing, working at the Academy while pursuing his studies, and recovered physically to the extent that he was able to resume his playing career in late 2011. He made a further two appearances for the first team and had loan spells at three different clubs before leaving Chelsea in 2014.

Contents 1 Before Chelsea 2 Chelsea career 3 International 4 Statistics 4.1 Youth, Reserve and Under-21 Football 4.2 Senior Club Football

Before Chelsea

Sam was at Chelsea since the age of seven [1] and had played for the club at every level since joining.

Chelsea career

Equally comfortable at right-back or centre-back, Sam progressed well after becoming a scholar in 2005. His natural exhuberance and encouragement made him a natural leader and when Jack Cork departed on loan in the 2006/07 season, he was handed the Youth Team captaincy.

During this season, José Mourinho identified Hutchinson as a player he was very interested in for the first team in the long term.

I know his mentality and I know he’ll be a Chelsea player. The kid has big potential and because of his size, we have to decide if he can be a top central defender or a top right back. We have to see the definition of his body and make a decision.

He was used as a last-day substitute for a few minutes against Everton and then featured in the pre-season tour of America, adding left-back to his belt of positions, and providing an impressive assist against Club America with a raking long pass. Upon returning to England he took the Reserve captaincy and opened the season in scoring form, with rumours of a loan to Watford buzzing around before injuries began to affect his career. For the best part of the next two years, he struggled with a number of injuries, most notably a knee issue which got him so low he considered retirement from the game.

However, he continued, showing great perseverance, and is on the comeback trail once again, making the first-team squad for the US tour of 2009. He remains extremely well thought of, even if Mourinho is long since gone. Displaying a very strong all-round game with comfort in all defensive roles, he is a Premier League player in the making. He uses the ball well, reads the game impressively, and puts absolutely everything into his game, whilst always finding time to encourage team-mates.

Things started positively in late 2009 when he made his second league outing against Fulham and followed it by making his first start in a League Cup tie with QPR. In front of the watching England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce, he impressed enough to earn his first call-up, but an injury picked up in a Reserve game against Arsenal meant he had to withdraw. He returned to fitness towards the end of the 2009-10 season, and made a further first team appearance in a 7-0 thrashing of Stoke City, coming on as a substitute for Paulo Ferreira and providing an excellent cross from which Frank Lampard scored his 20th goal of the Premier League season with an exquisite flick.

On 19 August 2010, after another flare-up with his injured knee(s), he was advised to retire from professional football. After spending a year coaching and mentoring and doing some punditry work for Chelsea TV, Sam and club staff decided that it was worth another crack at a playing career.

He featured in 2011-12 pre-season for the club and then in early reserve season action before his comeback was made 'official' in November; signing a full-time deal to expire in July 2013. There are incentives in the deal for an extension based on playing time. In late December 2011 he was named in the first team squad, and was allocated the number 27 shirt.

Under Roberto Di Matteo late in the 2011-12 season, Sam returned to first team action, first as a substitute before making what was a full Premier League debut against Blackburn Rovers on the final day of the season. In August 2012 he joined Nottingham Forest on loan for the 2012-13 season.

Injuries limited him to just nine games though, as a problem in his lesser-injured knee required rehabilitation at Chelsea and sidelined him for over six months. Prior to that spell on the sidelines, he had scored his first goal in professional football, netting a late winner against Charlton Athletic.

For the first half of the 2013-14 season, Sam ventured overseas to join affiliate club Vitesse Arnhem on loan, but appearances were once again hard to come by as injury and rehabilitation took priority. Having worked extensively with physio Eduardo Santos, he returned to England early in 2014 and went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday. He played well in around a dozen appearances for The Owls, scoring once and receiving two red cards whilst lining up regularly in an unfamiliar central midfield role.

He left Chelsea upon the expiry of his contract in July 2014.

International

Sam represented England at every level from Under-16 through to Under-20. He has had an Under-21 call-up but withdrew injured.

Statistics

Youth, Reserve and Under-21 Football

Season	Under-18		NextGen		Under-21		Total
	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2005-06	25	1	-	-	0	0	25	1
2006-07	12	2	-	-	?	?	12	2
2007-08	0	0	-	-	5	1	5	1
2008-09	0	0	-	-	6	0	6	0
2009-10	0	0	-	-	6	0	6	0
2010-11	Retired
2011-12	0	0	-	-	10	0	10	0
Total	37	3	-	-	27	1	64	4

Senior Club Football

Chelsea

Season	Prem		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2006-07	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
2007-08	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2008-09	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2009-10	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
2010-11	Retired
2011-12	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Total	5	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	6	0

Loans while at Chelsea

Season	Club	Prem		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2012-13	Nottingham Forest (loan)	9	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	1
2013-14	Vitesse Arnhem (loan)	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
2013-14	Sheffield Wednesday (loan)	10	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	1