1032 Michael Hector

Biography

Michael Hector was a tall and powerful centre back who joined Hull City in August 2017 on a season long loan, the second of three players to be loaned from Chelsea for the 2017/18 season thanks to Russian manager Leonid Slutsky’s connections with the Blues’ hierarchy.  Hector slotted straight into the first eleven and immediately put in a string of assured performances, however as the season continued his form oscillated and he was chosen a little less regularly by replacement manager Nigel Adkins. Hector ended his season with the Tigers well and put in a fine man of the match performance in the final game at sunny Brentford.

Michael Anthony James Hector was born in East London and was part of the youth team setup at Millwall as a youngster. Hector had a short spell at Thurrock before joining the youth team at Championship side Reading in the summer of 2009.  His early career with the Royals consisted of an impressive string of loan moves – in his first season he spent time at Southern League side Bracknell Town (October and November 2009, 3 appearances), Southern League side Didcot Town (November and December 2009, 3 appearances) and Conference South side Havant & Waterlooville (January 2010, 1 appearance).

Hector earned his first professional contract for Reading in May 2010 and the next three seasons followed a similar pattern of regular loan moves – Southern League side Oxford City (August and September 2010, 7 appearances), Isthmian League side Horsham (November 2010 to January 2011, 12 appearances and one goal), League of Ireland side Dundalk (February 2011 to June 2011, 14 appearances and two goals), League Two side Barnet (November 2011 to May 2012, 31 appearances and two goals including his first senior goal in the English leagues, in January 2012 against Crewe Alexandra), League One side Shrewsbury Town (July 2012 to November 2012, 9 appearances), League Two side Aldershot Town (November 2012 to January 2013, 11 appearances and one goal), League Two side Cheltenham Town (January 2013 to May 2013, 20 appearances and 1 goal) and Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen (July 2013 to January 2014, 22 appearances and one goal in November 2013 against Partick Thistle). So when Hector returned to parent club Reading in January 2014 he had already scored eight goals in 133 appearances, at various levels and in three nations, before he had made his Royals’ debut.

His Reading debut came in mid-January 2014 when he came on as substitute in a 7-1 Championship thrashing of Bolton Wanderers – his Royals manager was Nigel Adkins, the man who inherited Hector when he took over as City manager four seasons later. Michael remained on the fringes of the Reading first team for the remainder of the 2013/14 season but in the 2014/15 season he was a key part of the Royals’ defence as the Berkshire side avoided relegation from the Championship and reached the FA Cup semi-final only to lose after extra time to Premier League side Arsenal.

In September 2015 Hector joined Premier League side Chelsea but was immediately loaned back to Reading for the 2015/16 season. His final appearance for the Royals came in April 2016 against Queens Park Rangers, which took his tally for the club to four goals in 93 appearances. In August 2016 he joined German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt on a season long loan, scoring one goal – in September 2016 against Hertha Berlin – in 27 appearances. The following season was spent on loan at Hull City.

In August 2018 Hector spent another season long loan in Yorkshire, joining Championship side Sheffield Wednesday where he scored two goals in 39 appearances. In January 2020 Hector was sold to Championship title contenders Fulham for an £8 million fee – he left Chelsea having never made a first team appearance for the club during four and a half years on their books. Hector was a key part of the Fulham team that won promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2019/20 season, starting all three play-off matches as the Cottagers beat Cardiff City and Brentford to reach the top flight. Michael was used sparingly by Fulham over the next two and a half seasons spent in the Premier League and the Championship – his much-delayed Premier League debut came in September 2020 against Arsenal. He left Fulham in June 2022 having made 40 senior appearances.

After half a season without a club, in January 2023 Hector signed a short term deal with League One side Charlton Athletic. He quickly becoming a regular first team centre back for the Addicks and earned a one year contract for the 2023/24 season – when he left The Valley in May 2024 he had made 53 appearances for the South London club. After ten months without a club Hector joined National League side Dagenham & Redbridge in March 2025 on a short term deal, leaving the club two months later after 2 appearances – he combined duties for the Daggers with a spell in the UK Baller League, a televised seven a side competition in which Michael played for Yanited FC, a scratch side managed by Youtuber Angry Ginge.

Michael qualified for Jamaica through his parent’s heritage. He made his Reggae Boyz debut in June 2015 against Uruguay and soon became a regular choice for Jamaica manager and ex-Tiger Theodore Whitmore when he took over the international reins in 2016. Hector represented his country in the 2015 Gold Cup, reaching the final before losing to Mexico, and also the less successful 2019 and 2021 Gold Cup campaigns. Despite his regular appearances for Jamaica Hector was not selected for his country at all during his season at Hull City. In June 2024 he won his 45th and final cap against Venezuela, the last of three appearances in the 2024 Copa America finals staged in the USA.

Details

Nationality: Jamaica
Date/Place of Birth: 19 July 1992, East Ham
Hull City First Game: 5 August 2017, Aston Villa A (Championship), 25 years, 17 days old
Hull City Final Game: 6 May 2018, Brentford A (Championship), 25 years, 291 days

Clubs

Thurrock (2008-2009), Reading (2009-2015), Bracknell Town (2009, loan), Didcot Town (2009, loan), Havant & Waterlooville (2010, loan), Oxford City (2010, loan), Horsham (2010-2011, loan), Dundalk (2011, loan), Barnet (2011-2012, loan), Shrewsbury Town (2012, loan), Aldershot Town (2012-2013, loan), Cheltenham Town (2013, loan), Aberdeen (2013-2014, loan), Chelsea (2015-2020), Reading (2015-2016, loan), Eintracht Frankfurt (2016-2017, loan), Hull City (2017-2018, loan), Sheffield Wednesday (2018-2019, loan), Fulham (2020-2022), Charlton Athletic (2023-2024), Dagenham & Redbridge (2025)

Hull City Record

Career: 38 apps, 1 goals