Michael Turner is currently the ultimate Hull City hero. And those of us determined to pre-empt Fabio Capello's decisions remain convinced he will make Hull City history as our first ever England international.
We've never had an England player represent his country while at Hull City. We've never really come close, owing entirely to our lack of top-flight history. Chris Chilton, statistically our greatest goalscorer, received representative honours from the FA while bashing in goals in the old Second Division, but even in an era not averse to picking players outside the top flight, never received a call-up. He was the closest we ever came, and even then he wasn't that close.
Stuart Pearson played for England three years after leaving City; it took Brian Marwood five years after departing Boothferry Park and a further move from Sheffield Wednesday to Arsenal before getting his infamous nine minutes against Saudi Arabia. Since then, Garry Parker and Richard Jobson have left City and made subsequent England squads, but neither received a cap.
Jobson certainly could have played for England had the Hull City and Oldham Athletic teams he played for been as good as a player of his calibre needed them to be. This is where Turner, the only better central defender than Jobson I've ever seen play for the Tigers, could have the advantage.
Of course, England are blessed with centre backs. Beyond the wildly talented (if often difficult to like) default pairing of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, there then follows a lengthy enough list of worthwhile replacements. Matthew Upson got the nod in Terry's absence against Kazakhstan; the likes of Jonathan Woodgate and Joleon Lescott maintain sturdy claims. Steven Taylor and David Wheater represent the future, and no-one should rule out the claims of Sol Campbell, probably my favourite ever England defender, on the basis of his experience and continued form with Portsmouth.
But there is spin in Turner's favour with that list. Woodgate is injury prone. Lescott can be seen as an emergency left back by Capello as much as he can a standard central defensive back-up. Taylor and Wheater are not distributors of the ball. Campbell is 34 and has the type of personality which could see him quit all football without a moment's notice. Upson's main strength seems to be his natural left-sidedness, as opposed to any standout defensive attribute which gives him obvious prominence above the others.
If Capello saw Michael Turner put in as good a performance as City fans now expect when we play West Ham United next weekend, would he be prepared to select a Hull City player? Sniffier edges of the media would claim that his club alone is a stepping stone Turner, last season's unanimous player of the year, would have to overcome prior to selection. A Hull City player in the national side? Perish the thought. Wigan Athletic had a similar issue when one of their charges received a summons, but at least Emile Heskey had a long international career already next to his name when he became the Latics' first (and to date, only) serving England representative. A call-up for Turner would therefore become even more impressive due to his emergence from pretty much out of nowhere.
Of course, the spectacles can be rose-coloured and maybe Turner's current situation is as much down to his own form right now rather than any long-term class. He was rejected by his adolescent club, Charlton Athletic, and had to carve out a career initially at Brentford where even then no Premier League club rendered him a worthy recruit, despite extensive scouting. But his impact on Hull City has been tremendous and beyond the dewy-eyed, parochial stuff about Dean Windass and Nick Barmby, you have really to put Turner top of the pile if forced to pick one solitary player without whom Wembley and promotion would have remained a dream.
Turner is one third of the reason why the Phil Parkinson legacy remains a quirky one; an abject failure as a manager, but three of his summer recruits upon getting Adam Pearson's mandate flourished wonderfully at the club. However, a way of tarnishing the gloss is evident in Turner's initial form; playing at Championship level for the first time, he initially cut a clumsy, nervous and disorganised figure, struggling especially on the ground and reaching a nadir few defenders would ever reach when being somehow culpable for most of Colchester's goals in a 5-1 pummelling at Layer Road. Parkinson may have bought Turner, but it was only after a managerial change that we really saw why.
Phil Brown's patient breed of management helped bring the best out of Turner almost instantly. Certainly after Christmas of what would remain a relegation battle, Turner livened up and toughened up. For the first time, his predecessor Leon Cort and his defensive power was not being missed. Turner, alongside usually Damien Delaney, began a happy habit which continues to this day of not missing, mistiming or misreading a thing. His tackling was immense; his aerial power unplayable; his facility to inspire others as visible as you'd dare expect. He wasn't - yet - a goalscoring centre back, but he did begin another happy habit of finding the net remarkably late in games, earning crucial draws at home to Crystal Palace and away at Norwich as City began to fight back from the crestfallen position Parkinson had left behind.
Turner volleyed the goal of the season at Luton Town as City won 2-1; he also became notable for his absence when Brown dropped him for a home game with Ipswich Town and then proceeded to regret what was a stark error when Danny Coles, a flawed figure at Hull City, put in the sort of inept, confidence-shorn defensive performance Turner had himself displayed at Colchester. Coles was responsible for most of Ipswich's five goals; Turner was cheered as he warmed up in the second half and ultimately was called upon, damage already done, to prevent the goal difference being mutilated even further.
The season concluded with City's safety memorably assured after beating Cardiff and hearing of Leeds United's delicious concession of a late goal against Ipswich which at the very least would mean the Tigers would survive due to a colossal goal difference advantage (despite Coles' train wreck performance previously). It appeared that Brown, having done the job required of him, now had a chance to rebuild the defence around a splendid young centre back, whose demeanour was unassuming but whose performances had become ruthless, combining the defensive savagery required of this level with a brand of artistry in doing so, making defending entertaining. Jobson could do this 20 years earlier. Turner had at last become a worthy successor to the great man.
But Brown needed convincing even more, on the evidence of his selection for the new season's opener against Plymouth at the KC. With new hundred-percenter Wayne Brown now in place, the manager made the bizarre decision to pair him with Coles, and leave Turner benched. How he came to this even heaven still is to find out, and Coles failed to repay an amazing showcase of faith by being just as abject as when he came off the rails against Ipswich. Plymouth won 3-2, Coles was at fault throughout, and Turner returned for the next League game, never to be dropped for Coles again - indeed, his pretender to the throne was shunted off quickly, soon to depart Hull City for good.
City were slow starters but already Turner was imperious, clearly having the personality and belief to use a random exclusion from the side as a way of extending his own will to succeed. The manager knew he'd cocked up, and barring a suspension in March, Turner would not be seen anywhere other than on the pitch on a matchday again. He became the cornerstone of a growing team, combining with the more industrial Brown and an exceptional pair of full backs to help City establish a vital meanness to their defence, a trait which would be epitomised in the final, all-purpose match of the season. Turner continued, briefly, his last-orders scoring habit too, burying a 93rd minute header to earn the Tigers a 1-0 win at Burnley, though this would prove for some time to be his only goal of the season, a fact not lost on assistant manager Brian Horton, Jobson's mentor of 20 years earlier, who was constantly telling the star centre back that he needed to get more goals. This was the one aspect of his game on which Cort, now not remotely missed for all his popularity, remained ahead.
As City got into the New Year and the form suggested a promotion push may be in the offing, Turner got meaner and ruder. Discipline has always been a strong point, but ultimately lummox strikers dragged his yellow card level upwards and upon a fifth booking, he had to serve a one-match ban, immediately after helping City to a season-defining 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion. Bristol City away was the game and the manager, who had sold natural replacement Damien Delaney to QPR in January, recruited Neil Clement on loan from the Baggies to maintain an element of strength while Turner was out. City found themselves, however, in the odd position of having two left-footed centre backs, and Clement, replacing Turner on the right side, got confused with his angles which allowed the home side an early goal, ultimately resulting in a 2-1 win. Turner was back immediately afterwards.
At this point, Turner also began scoring goals, almost for fun. Just the late, late show at Burnley was on his record, but then suddenly he was heading in goals against Scunthorpe United and Southampton - 2-0 and 5-0 wins respectively - before opening the scoring in the very first minute of a massive top six game against Watford. Even then he wasn't done, as he proceeded to revert to old habits, scoring an injury time equaliser against QPR at the KC on a day when City failed to show up. Four goals in four consecutive home games, ten points from 12, and now promotion was on course.
The injury to Wayne Brown and the sly recall by West Brom of Clement was ultimately City's downfall as far as automatic promotion was concerned, as Turner had no obvious defensive partner left and so the emergency game left in David Livermore's contract was activated by his manager. Livermore was left-footed but not ideal centre back material for a team looking to get to the Premier League - he'd played there for Millwall but never in two seasons at the KC - and Sheffield United coasted past the Tigers, even when going down to ten men. Turner, however, had Brown back with him for the play-offs and, in a first-choice back four flanked by Sam Ricketts and Andy Dawson, City proceeded to score seven goals, concede just one and clinch promotion from their three games.
Beyond Turner's early achievements this season - the way he has dealt so far with Michael Owen, Yakubu, Emmanuel Adebayor and Darren Bent so far has been beyond mere words of praise - it will be one piece of fearless defending at Wembley which will define him. In the final moments of normal time, Boaz Myhill punched under pressure from Dele Adebola on to the cultured left foot of faux-Welsh panto villain Lee Trundle, he controlled, shot for goal - and Turner's speed of thought and sheer courage was enough to get a thigh in the way of the ball and deflect it over the bar. That moment defined a whole season of flawless, iconic defending for the Hull City devotee, and how appropriate that it was almost as crucial a factor in success at Wembley as the solitary goal scored by Windass in the first half.
If Capello does come to watch Turner and pick him, then maybe playing for England and setting a Hull City first no player could take away from him will be as fitting an accolade for Michael Turner, Hull City's finest ever defender, as it is possible to have. Let's see.
.jpg)
