Biography
Skillful left-footed midfielder Cairney came to Hull City at 16 after a youth career at Leeds United. He broke into the first team in 2009, announcing himself with fine goals against Southend in the League Cup and Everton in the Premier League. As City tumbled out of the top flight Cairney earned more game time. But when Steve Bruce arrived Tom’s laid back playing style, coupled with a rumoured lively lifestyle, saw him used less. At the start of the 2013/14 season he was sent out on loan, never to return.
Cairney joined Blackburn Rovers on loan in August 2013, making the move permanent in January 2014. He quickly built on his reputation at Hull City as a skillful midfield creator, becoming one of the stand-out players at Championship level. After two seasons at Ewood Park he moved to Fulham where his reputation as a playmaker continued to grow. In May 2018 he scored the winning goal for Fulham in the Championship play-off final and returned to the Premier League where his senior career started, at the schadenfreude-loaded expense of Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce, the man who chased him out of the Tigers’ squad five years previously. He remained at Fulham when they again won promotion to the Premier League in May 2022, working under former City boss Marco Silva.
Cairney chose early in his career to represent Scotland, through his father’s birthplace, and after under-19 and under-21 caps he made his senior debut in 2017.
Details
Nationality: Scotland
Date/Place of Birth: 20 January 1991, Nottingham
Hull City First Game: 25 August 2009, Southend United H (League Cup Second Round), 18 years, 217 days old
Hull City Final Game: 30 March 2013, Huddersfield Town A (Championship), 22 years, 69 days old
Clubs
Hull City (2007-2014), Blackburn Rovers (2013-2014, loan), Blackburn Rovers (2014-2015), Fulham (2015-current)
Hull City Record
Career: 80 apps, 5 goals
Tom Cairney| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/10 | 10 (1) | 1 | 1 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| 2010/11 | 16 (6) | 1 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2011/12 | 18 (9) | 0 | 2 (0) | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2012/13 | 0 (10) | 0 | 2 (0) | 1 | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2013/14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |