Biography
Michael Turner joined Hull City in July 2006 for a £350,000 fee, new manager Phil Parkinson’s first signing for the club. Turner became one of City’s most important players, and undoubtedly the club’s most important defender, of the 2000s yet his early weeks in the first team in late 2006 were error-strewn and unimpressive. He scored his first goal for the Tigers against Crystal Palace in September 2006 and when Phil Brown replaced Parkinson at the helm in December 2006 Turner began to flourish – in the New Year Turner’s powerhouse performances helped lift the Tigers clear of the relegation zone. Paired with Wayne Brown for the 2007/08 season, Michael struck up a partnership that helped the Tigers emerge as play-off contenders by May 2008. At the Wembley play-off final Turner was one of the stand-out performers, defending stoutly and making remarkable blocks to keep Bristol City at bay and help the Tigers achieve Premier League status for the first time. He bookended his efforts with several Player of the Season awards.
Turner then kicked on further in the 2008/09 season and showed himself to be one of the Premier League’s most capable up and coming defenders – there was even some talk of an England call-up, which Phil Brown rebutted. He started every game in the Tigers’ first ever Premier League campaign and contributed vital goals, notably the opener in a September 2008 draw against Everton, the winner a month later against West Ham United and an equaliser in November 2008 against Portsmouth. As the season progressed City slumped from the top five to the bottom five but Turner remained resolute as Brown’s side survived for another top flight season, with Michael again sweeping up many Player of the Season gongs.
The adverse financial implications of reaching and staying in the Premier League swept across the club in the early weeks of the 2009/10 season and Turner was perhaps the club’s most saleable asset. After starting the first four League matches of the season, at the end of August 2009 Turner was hurriedly jettisoned to Premier League rivals Sunderland for a cut price £4 million fee, a sorry end for a magnificent servant to the football club.
Michael Thomas Turner was born in Lewisham, South East London and came through the junior ranks at Premier League side Charlton Athletic, becoming an apprentice professional in 1999. During 1998 Turner benefited from a youth team tie-up between Charlton Athletic and Internazionale, spending several months in Italy training and playing with the Inter Milan youth team. He signed his first professional contract in March 2001 but didn’t make an impression on the Charlton first team and failed to make a senior appearance for the Addicks. In March 2003 Michael joined League Division 3 side Leyton Orient on a two month loan and made his senior debut in April 2003 against Boston United. His first senior goal followed two weeks later against Swansea City and he ended his loan spell with one goal in 7 appearances. Turner spent the 2003/04 season in the Charlton reserve side and his career appeared to have stalled at the age of 20.
In August 2004 Michael joined League One side Brentford on loan, initially for one month that was soon extended to three months. Turner started every game for the Bees first team and impressed with his calm and powerful defending style, in November 2004 his loan was converted into a permanent move for an undisclosed fee. Michael stayed in the first eleven for the rest of the 2004/05 season, scoring his first goal for the club in April 2005 against Tranmere Rovers, missing only one league game and helping the Bees reach the Fifth Round of the FA Cup where they claimed a draw against Premier League side Southampton. He also played in both play-off semi-final legs in May 2005 as Brentford were edged out by Sheffield Wednesday.
The 2005/06 season followed a similar pattern, Turner was an ever-present in the league as Brentford again reached the FA Cup Fifth Round, beating Premier League side Sunderland before losing to Turner’s former club Charlton Athletic. The Bees also reached the play-offs again in May 2006, this time losing at the semi-final stage to Swansea City. Turner left Brentford in July 2006 to join Hull City having scored three goals in 110 appearances.
Turner joined Premier League side Sunderland in August 2009 and within a fortnight he was making his Black Cats debut against his former club, netting an apologetic headed goal against the Tigers that league technocrats kindly listed as an own goal. He was an important part of Sunderland’s defence during the 2009/10 season, scoring twice in League matches and twice seeing red cards. Turner was a more peripheral figure during the early months of the 2010/11 season and in November 2010 he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for several months – this was to be the pattern that defined Turner’s remaining two years at the Stadium of Light as he interspersed spells in the first team with periods of absence due to injury. When he left the club in July 2012 he had scored two goals in 77 appearances.
In July 2012 an undisclosed fee prised Turner away from the banks of the Wear and he joined Premier League rivals Norwich City on a two year deal that was later extended for a further three years. His debut for the Canaries in August 2012 ended in an ugly 0-5 defeat to Fulham and for the first half of the season Turner was used as a backup defender, though he held a regular first team place from December 2012 onwards. A similar pattern emerged in the 2013/14 season as Norwich slumped to relegation by May 2014 with Turner missing three months of the season due to an injury. Turner began Norwich’s 2013/14 Championship season as a first choice defender but faded from the first team in February 2015 and was loaned to Championship rivals Fulham in March 2015 where he scored once in 9 appearances. With Norwich City promoted back to the Premier League, Turner spent the 2015/16 season on loan at Championship side Sheffield Wednesday though he managed just 12 appearances and one goal as he was used as a support player. He returned to Norwich at the start of the 2016/17 season and made three appearances in Cup competitions that took his tally for the Canaries to four goals in 77 appearances, a poor return in five seasons.
In July 2017 Turner reunited with his former Hull City manager Phil Brown, dropping down two divisions to join League One side Southend United. He served the Shrimpers for two seasons and scored five goals in 65 appearances before hanging up his boots in the 2019 close season, ending a career that spanned twenty years and 502 senior appearances.
Following his playing career Turner worked in property management and occasionally appeared as a pundit for televised Hull City and Sunderland fixtures.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 9 November 1983, Lewisham
Hull City First Game: 5 August 2006, West Bromwich Albion A (Championship), 22 years, 269 days old
Hull City Final Game: 29 August 2009, Wolverhampton Wanderers A (Premier League), 25 years, 293 days old
Clubs
Charlton Athletic (1999-2004), Leyton Orient (2003, loan), Brentford (2004, loan), Brentford (2004-2006), Hull City (2006-2009), Sunderland (2009-2012), Norwich City (2012-2017), Fulham (2015, loan), Sheffield Wednesday (2015-2016, loan), Southend United (2017-2019)
Hull City Record
Career: 146 apps, 13 goals
Michael Turner| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/07 | 42 (1) | 3 | 2 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2007/08 | 44 (0) | 5 | 1 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | – | – | 3 (0) | 0 |
| 2008/09 | 38 (0) | 4 | 4 (0) | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2009/10 | 4 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |