Anthony James Hibbert is an English retired footballer. Originally a midfielder, Hibbert converted to play at right back. He spent his entire career with Everton, having joined the club in 1991. He made his senior début for Everton in 2001, and went on to make over 300 appearances for the club in all competitions. Hibbert's one-club man status, coupled with his down to earth demeanour, earned him the status of cult figure among Everton fans.
Football career
Club career
Hibbert was born in Liverpool and brought up in Huyton. Growing up as an Everton supporter, Hibbert joined the club as a boy. He was a member of the Everton youth team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1998 beating Blackburn Rovers 5–3 on aggregate. Three years later, he made his first team début for the club in a Premier League match against West Ham United on 31 March 2001, in which a high challenge from Stuart Pearce into Hibbert's chest saw Everton earn a penalty. In the 2002–03 season, in the wake of an injury to fellow right-back Steve Watson, Hibbert was a regular member of the Everton first-team. The ACTIM index rated him the best English right back in the 2004–05 season. He missed the end of the 2005–06 season with a hernia problem and his preparations for the 2006–07 season were hampered after he was infected by cryptosporidium parasite. Hibbert's 2006–07 season was seriously disrupted by injury. He again played regularly in the 2007–08 and in the 2008–09 seasons. He was the victim of a high-profile burglary in 2006. As of the 2010–11 season, Hibbert was Everton's current longest-serving player, the only player who has been at the club throughout the entire reign of former manager David Moyes, and has appeared in more competitive European games than any other Everton player. In addition, he has never scored in a competitive game during his professional career. Alongside his commitment to the club, the goal drought has contributed to his cult hero status among Everton fans, to the extent that a banner reading "If Hibbert Scores, We Riot" was displayed at the 2009 FA Cup semi-final. Hibbert was awarded a testimonial match for Everton following 10 years of service. The match was played on 8 August 2012 against Greek side AEK Athens, the team against whom Hibbert made his eighteenth appearance in all European competitions for Everton, equalling a club record. Hibbert scored Everton's fourth goal in a 4–1 win prompting a pitch invasion. Hibbert's 2012–13 season was littered with injuries. In the early part of the season he suffered neck and calf injuries which kept him out of action until November. He only returned for a few games before a recurrence of the calf injury forced him to have surgery which meant he did not play again until he came on as a substitute in Everton's final home game of the season. The match was manager David Moyes last home game in charge of the side following his decision to end his 11-year reign to join Manchester United. Hibbert's appearance meant that he was the only remaining player at the club who had featured in Moyes' first squad. Hibbert's 2013–14 season was severely impacted by injuries and the form of Séamus Coleman, who was later named the club's player of the season, to such an extent that he only made one league appearance during the campaign. Despite his limited first team opportunities, manager Roberto Martínez said he was ready to offer a new deal to Hibbert. In July 2014, Hibbert signed a two-year contract with the club. He barely played any first team games in the following two seasons, and at the end of the 2015–16 season Hibbert was released from the club after 26 years, retiring soon after.
