Alan Hutton

3.1. Rangers

Hutton joined the Rangers youth system on September 4, 2000. He made his professional debut for the senior team on December 22, 2002, in a Scottish Premier League match against Partick Thistle, which was his only appearance that season. During the 2003-04 season, he made 11 appearances and scored his first goal on March 23, 2004, against Dunfermline Athletic at Ibrox.

In the 2004-05 season, Hutton featured 12 times as Rangers secured both the Scottish Premier League title and the Scottish League Cup. However, his season was cut short in February 2005 when he sustained a leg fracture during a league match against Kilmarnock, an injury that sidelined him for eight months.

Returning from injury for the 2005-06 season, which proved challenging for Rangers domestically, Hutton made 23 first-team appearances, contending with Dutchman Fernando Ricksen for the right-back position. Following Ricksen's departure, Hutton established himself as the primary right-back, leading to him signing a new five-year contract with Rangers in the summer of 2007.

Hutton began the 2007-08 season strongly, earning praise from then-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He played a crucial role in Rangers' initial UEFA Champions League group stage victories against VfB Stuttgart and Olympique Lyonnais. Over his six seasons at Rangers, Hutton made 94 league appearances, scoring two league goals against Dunfermline and Hibernian. He also found the net in the UEFA Cup against Partizan Belgrade and in the 2007-08 Scottish Cup against East Stirlingshire.

3.2. Tottenham Hotspur

During the January transfer window of the 2007-08 season, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur made an offer for Hutton, initially believed to be around 5.00 M GBP. Hutton initially rejected the opportunity to join Spurs, and again when their improved offer was made. The prolonged transfer saga concluded on January 30, 2008, with Hutton joining Tottenham for a reported fee of around 9.00 M GBP. He made his debut on February 2, 2008, in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United, a performance that earned him the Man of the Match award. Hutton was ineligible for the remainder of Tottenham's UEFA Cup campaign due to being cup-tied. In only his third appearance for the club, he played a part in Tottenham's League Cup Final victory over Chelsea.

3.2.2. Return to Tottenham and struggles

After a permanent move to Sunderland fell through, Hutton returned to Tottenham. He made an immediate impact in the opening match of the 2010-11 season against Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring a goal and winning a penalty that led to Rafael van der Vaart converting for Tottenham's first goal in a 3-1 win. He subsequently played the full 90 minutes in a 2-0 Premier League defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Hutton was Tottenham's primary choice at right-back for most of the 2010-11 season, often preferred over Croatian international Vedran Ćorluka. He was also a significant figure in Tottenham's 2010-11 UEFA Champions League campaign, which saw them reach the quarter-finals, including a memorable 3-1 victory over European champions Internazionale. His season, however, ended prematurely in April due to a knee injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign. He finished the season with 26 appearances across all competitions.

At the start of the 2011-12 season, Hutton's starting position was challenged by the return of Kyle Walker from a loan spell at Aston Villa. Walker was consistently chosen ahead of Hutton in defense. Hutton was heavily linked with a 3.00 M GBP transfer to Aston Villa, the club from which Walker had just returned. After joining Aston Villa, Hutton openly accused then-Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp of making his time at the club miserable, claiming he was treated as an 'outcast' and forced to train with the youth side during his three years at Tottenham.

3.3. Aston Villa

On August 31, 2011, Aston Villa confirmed the signing of Hutton on a four-year contract. The deal was reportedly worth 40.00 K GBP a week for Hutton, and he was joined by fellow Tottenham player Jermaine Jenas, who arrived on loan. This move reunited Hutton with Alex McLeish, who had managed him at Rangers. Hutton stated that Aston Villa was the "only place he wanted to go."

3.3.2. Return to Aston Villa and career renaissance

Following his various loan spells, Hutton returned to Aston Villa in 2014 and earned a surprising recall to the squad. He delivered a strong performance in a 3-1 pre-season friendly win over Mansfield Town on July 18, assisting the equalizing goal scored by Darren Bent. Hutton's excellent pre-season form continued, and he began the new Premier League season as the first-choice right-back once again. On September 16, after a strong start to the season for both Hutton personally and for Aston Villa as a team, he cemented his remarkable turnaround by signing a new three-year contract with the club. He scored his first goal for Aston Villa with a half-volley against Leicester City in December 2014.

Hutton started and played the entire 2015 FA Cup Final, which Aston Villa lost 4-0 to Arsenal. He featured regularly, making 28 appearances in the following season, as Aston Villa finished at the bottom of the league and were relegated from the Premier League. On June 14, 2018, Hutton signed another new contract to remain at Villa Park until 2019. On November 25, 2018, Hutton scored a notable goal in a Second City derby victory against Birmingham City, running from inside his own half before finishing with his left foot.

Hutton was released by Aston Villa at the end of the 2018-19 season, having made over 200 appearances for the club and helping them secure promotion back to the Premier League.

4.1. Scotland

Alan Hutton represented Scotland at various levels, including under-21 and B teams, before progressing to the senior Scotland men's national football team.

On May 11, 2007, alongside his then-Rangers teammate Charlie Adam, Hutton received his first call-up to the Scotland squad by manager Alex McLeish for a friendly match against Austria and a Euro 2008 qualifying match against the Faroe Islands. He made his international debut as a substitute against Austria on May 30, 2007. His competitive debut for Scotland came in September 2007 against Lithuania. Hutton was also part of the Scotland team that famously defeated France at Parc des Princes in September 2007.

Hutton earned his 50th international cap in March 2016, in a 1-0 victory against the Czech Republic. In November 2016, Scotland manager Gordon Strachan confirmed that Hutton had retired from international football.

7.1. Club

7.2. International