8 ex-Hull City players we had no idea are still playing

Hull City have had their fair share of legends down the years but some are still playing

Hull City have seen players fly through their ranks across the seasons – with international legends, Champions League winners and non-league nomads galore all trying their hand in Yorkshire.

Andy Robertson, Jarrod Bowen and Harry Maguire have all played at the MKM Stadium, and whilst they’ve gone on to have outstanding careers, there are the other icons and cult heroes to sift through.

The Tigers have been on quite a journey, and look set to do so again with their newfound ownership injecting funds into the club – but whilst many featured over a decade ago, they’re still playing in some capacity. Football League World takes a look at 8 former Hull players we cannot believe are still playing.

Tom Huddlestone

Most likely the biggest Hull City legend on this list, Huddlestone spent five years in two separate spells at Hull, amassing over 170 appearances for the Tigers which included a play-off final win in 2016, and a European campaign the season before.

He returned in the 2021-22 season after a spell at Derby, where his career began. But you’d be forgiven for thinking that Huddlestone had retired from football having not appeared for anybody since his last spell in East Yorkshire.

However, he’s currently on the books at English giants Manchester United. He joined the club in August 2022 as one of their under-21 players in a player/coaching role, replacing former Hull man Paul McShane in the process after he had retired.

Whilst he will likely never play for the Red Devils, it’s bizarre to think that he could turn out for the club in a pre-season friendly of some sort – and at the age of 36, he could have another year or so in him to make that become a reality.

Kamil Grosicki

Grosicki joined the Tigers in January 2017 from French outfit Rennes, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal with the club after previously having had a move to Burnley vetoed at the 11th hour just six months before.

He didn’t do enough to keep Hull in the top flight, but 24 goals split across 119 matches for the club saw him form a lethal partnership with the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Harry Wilson in what was a genuinely exciting time to be a Hull City fan on paper.

Moving on to a true EFL legend, Ellison is known for his longevity in League Two but he had a stellar career earlier this century as well. Making a Premier League appearance in 2000, he flew through the lower leagues, which included a spell at Hull, where he won promotion to the second tier in 2004-05, spending a further season in Yorkshire before joining Tranmere.

Known more for his spell at Morecambe where he played over 388 games, Ellison now plays for Runcorn Town at the incredible age of 44.

759 EFL appearances, he’s turning out for Runcorn even to this day and even scored two weeks ago in a 2-2 draw with Lancashire outfit Garstang. How’s that for longevity?

James Harper

Harper only played for Hull for one season, but vast experience at Reading saw him become quite the statement signing in East Yorkshire.

His solo campaign resulted in 29 games and a singular goal against his former club, though he was quickly sold to League One outfit Doncaster Rovers, where his career quickly moved down the football pyramid.

But amazingly, at the age of 42, he remains in the lower reaches of the divisions – where he still plies his trade at Ascot United, according to Transfermarkt.

Clayton Donaldson

This list is clad with Football League stalwarts, and Donaldson is no different. Starting his career at the Tigers with five appearances and a singular goal for the club, he was moved on to York City – and though he never returned to Hull, he endured a solid career – notably at Crewe, where he scored 47 goals in 117 games.

Remaining in the Championship until 2018-19, Donaldson has moved to his Bradford roots to sign for non-league club Farsley Celtic this summer – though he hasn’t yet scored for The Citadel outfit.

David Marshall

Alongside Huddlestone, Marshall is probably the most decorated player on this list of players.

He was outstanding for Cardiff in their Premier League campaign in 2013-14, though an inadequate squad wasn’t prepared for relegation, and he left for Hull in 2016 to feature in 16 top-flight games.

A full two seasons later, he’d cemented his place as well-liked amongst fans, and on the international stage, he sent Scotland to Euro 2020 by saving the decisive penalty in a shootout to become a national hero for their first major tournament in 22 years.

He still plies his trade as Hibs’ first-choice goalkeeper at the age of 38 – making 10 appearances already this season.

Dieumerci Mbokani

Another forgotten Hull man, Mbokani was brought in on loan from Dynamo Kyiv after a solid season on loan the year prior at Norwich, scoring seven in the Premier League.

It didn’t go to plan as he ended up goalless and with Hull going down, but he subsequently moved to Antwerp and is now at Armenian outfit Noah FC. They play in the top-flight and qualified for the Conference League in 2021-22. Perhaps Mbokani could help them secure European football again.

Manucho

There are number of players that have represented both Manchester United Jonny Evans, Tom Huddlestone, Harry Maguire – and Manucho can be added to that list.

The Angolan joined Hull on loan in the Premier League back in 2009, scoring two goals in his 13 league games as the Tigers stayed up by a single point on the final day of the season – a game he was ineligible for as United came to town.

From there, he formed a decent career for himself; playing for Real Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano especially, he stayed in Spain beyond that.

Aged 40, the striker still plies his trade on the Mediterranean at ‘Racing Madrid City FC’, according to Transfermarkt.