Hull City have had some forgettable players over the years, but here are 5 unusual ones that could have slipped out of even the most avid supporters mind.
Former Hull City goalkeeper Sergio Leite
Hull City have managed to attract a number of top talents during their 112 year history despite not having had their first taste of top flight football until 2008. During those 104 years outside English football’s highest level, the likes of Raich Carter, Neil Franklin, Stan Mortensen, Billy Bremner, Ray Parlour and Jay-Jay Okocha all pulled on black and amber, although admittedly most with their best days some years behind them.
As well as the blockbuster names of Carter and Bremner, Hull City fans have also been treated to more than their fair share of dross, of which there are far too many to name. Somewhere between these players who are memorable for the right and those memorable for the wrong reasons come players who were notable only for their forgettability.
We take a look at some unusual players to have been a part of the Hull City squad over the last decade or so that you may have forgotten. Among them is a Euro 2004 winner, a Tunisian international and a man who faced Manchester United in the Europa League last season.
Ex-Tiger Martin Pusic in action for Admira
Sergio Leite
First up is a signing many Hull City fans were excited about. Sergio Leite arrived at the KC Stadium with considerable pedigree, having won 24 caps for Portugal’s under-21’s, although he had struggled to make any inroads with another English club, Charlton Athletic.
Leite stands at just 5 feet and 11 inches tall, rather short for a goalkeeper. The former Boavista man impressed in training, however, when it came to actual games, he looked far from convincing. Leite looked shaky for both Hull’s reserves and in his solitary first team outing, a 2-1 away defeat to Blackpool in the League Cup.
Having joined in 2005, he was released in 2006, and went on to play in Romania and Cyprus, before returning to his native Portugal. Leite retired in 2011 at the age of 32 to become a players agent.
Stelios Giannakopoulos
Stelios Giannakopoulos in action with Luis Figo during the final of Euro 2004
Stelios Giannakopoulos is another player who arrived at Hull City with an impressive track record, having spent 5 years in the Premier League with Bolton and winning Euro 2004 with Greece. He joined the Tigers in 2008, for the clubs first ever season in the top flight under Phil Brown.
Supporters in East Yorkshire were understandably optimistic about the arrival of the Greek midfielder, given that the two other former Bolton stars who Brown reunited with at the KC Stadium (Henrik Pedersen and Jay-Jay Okocha) had both looked very impressive in the previous campaign.
Giannakopoulos made less of an impact though, making just 3 appearances for the Tigers, 2 off the bench in the league and one full outing in the cup. The 42-year-old now reportedly works as a firefighter for the Hellenic Fire Service.
Yann Ekra
Ivorian-born former French youth international Yann Ekra never actually made a first team appearance for the Tigers, but he was a member of the first team squad nonetheless.
Having come up through the Lyon youth setup, where he was a roommate of Real Madrid star Karim Benzema, Ekra joined Hull from Lyon in 2008. Aged just 19, Ekra never managed to break into Phil Brown’s first team squad, making 7 reserve appearances and failing to score.
After brief spells in Greece and France, Ekra has spent the last four years in the third tier of US soccer with Hamburg City Islanders, Philadelphia Union and Charlotte Independence.
Tijani Belaid
Tijani Belaid during a rare appearance for Hull City
There were a few unusual signings during the Nigel Pearson era, cough – Rowan Vine, but that can largely be attributed to the tight budget and restraints with which he had to work with. Tijani Belaid was a name few Hull City fans would have heard of prior to the midfielders arrival.
A Tunisian international, Belaid showed glimpses of quality during 8 outings in black and amber, although he seemed to struggle with the pace and physicality of the Championship. Five years on from his departure and he has become something of a journeyman.
The 29-year-old who came through the Inter Milan academy and made a first team appearance for the Italian giants has had six clubs in that time, seeing him move to Cyprus, Germany, Portugal, Bulgaria and now back in his native Tunisia.
Martin Pusic
Like Belaid, Martin Pusic was an obscure name who arrived at Hull City under Nigel Pearson in 2011. Unlike Belaid, Hull City supporters never even got a glimpse of what he was capable of. He seemed like a hard working player with no outstanding traits during his three competitive outings for the club.
Yet it is Pusic who has actually enjoyed a fair amount of success since leaving Hull City in 2012. Now an out-and-out striker, Pusic has scored 22 goals in 44 games since joining FC Midtjylland, and was the Danish Superliga’s top scorer in the 2014/15 season. He featured for the club in their Europa League clashes with Manchester United in February.
How many of our 5 forgettable Hull City players did you remember?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
