Biography
USA international Altidore spent the 2009/10 season on loan at Hull City, the tricky second album in the Tigers’ Premier League history. Jozy was just 19 years old when he came to City but had already been snapped up by Spanish top flight side Villareal after a successful season in front of goal for New York Red Bulls. The young man clearly had footballing talent to match his impressive physique, but the enormity of trying to prop up a side careering out of the League was too much for young Jozy, who only contributed one League goal and ended his time at the KC Stadium with a silly red card after flegging at Sunderland dunderhead Alan Hutton.
Josmer Volmy “Jozy” Altidore was born to Haitian parents in New Jersey and raised in Florida, USA. Altidore’s prodigious talent saw him snapped up by New York Red Bulls early in the draft system while still 17 – he scored 16 goals in 41 appearances for the Red Bulls following a September 2006 debut against New England. In July 2008, at the age of 18, he switched to Villareal for $10 million and made his La Liga debut in September 2008 against Deportivo La Coruna. He went on to score once, against Athletic Bilbao in November 2008, in 8 appearances during the 2008/09 season, spending the closing weeks of the season at Spanish second flight side Xerez. After spending the 2009/10 season on the banks of the Humber Estuary, Altidore return to Villareal and scored two goals in 14 appearances before heading to Turkiye in January 2011 and joining Super Lig side Bursaspor on loan, where he scored once in 12 appearances. Jozy left Villareal in July 2011 having scored three goals in 22 senior games for the Spaniards during a three year contract.
In July 2011 Altidore switched to Dutch Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, in two seasons with the Cheese Farmers Altidore found his professional feet and banged in 51 goals in 93 appearances – in the 2012/13 season he struck three league hattricks against Roda JC (September 2012), Vitesse Arnhem (January 2013) and FC Utrecht (April 2013), as well scoring the winner in the Dutch Cup final defeat of PSV Eindhoven. That form encouraged Sunderland to part with around £10 million in July 2013 in return for Altidore’s services. Alas his difficulties in front of goal in the Premier League that he first experienced at Hull reared their head again, and in a season and a half he managed only one league goal, plus two in the League Cup, for Sunderland in 52 senior appearances.
In January 2015 he switched to Toronto FC with Jermain Defoe going in the other direction, and the goals again flowed. He made his debut in March 2015 against Vancouver and scored twice, continuing that form for much of the next seven years. His goals propelled Toronto the MLS Cup Play-off Final in 2016, 2017 and 2019 – the 2016 final was lost to Seattle on penalties, in 2017 Toronto exacted revenge and defeated Seattle with Altidore scoring in the final, Seattle again prevailed in the 2019 denouement. By the time he left Toronto in February 2022 he had scored 79 goals in 193 appearances for the Canada-based Major League Soccer hipsters.
Jozy joined New England Revolution in February 2022, however after only one goal in half a season he moved to Mexican Liga MX side Puebla in July 2022 on a six month loan. After two goals in 6 appearances for Puebla Altidore returned to New England Revolution ahead of the 2023 MLS season -used as an impact substitute, Altidore took his New England tally to two goals in 30 appearances before his contract was terminated by mutual consent in June 2023, ending his playing days.
Altidore was identified early by the USA national team and he played at under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels. he made his senior debut for USA in November 2007 against South Africa, eleven days after his 18th birthday. He scored his first senior international goal in February 2008 against Mexico and was the USMNT’s regular striker for ten years. He earned his 100th senior cap against Serbia in January 2017, by which time he had been chosen to play in the 2010 and 2014 World Cup Finals tournaments. His final cap was awarded in the July 2019 Gold Cup Final against Mexico, taking his career tally to 115 international caps and 42 goals.
Details
Nationality: USA
Date/Place of Birth: 6 November 1989, Livingston (USA)
Hull City First Game: 22 August 2009, Bolton Wanderers H (Premier League), 19 years, 289 days old
Hull City Final Game: 24 April 2010, Sunderland H (Premier League), 20 years, 169 days old
Clubs
New York Red Bulls (2006-2008), Villareal (2008-2011), Xerez (2009, loan), Hull City (2009-2010, loan), Bursaspor (2011, loan), AZ Alkmaar (2011-2013), Sunderland (2013-2015), Toronto FC (2015-2022), New England Revolution (2022-2023), Puebla FC (2022-2023, loan)
Hull City Record
Career: 30 apps, 2 goals
Jozy Altidore| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 | 16 (12) | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | 1 (0) | 1 | – | – | – | – |