Johnny Hunt (footballer)

Hunt began his career in the Wrexham youth academy.[2] He made his first-team debut for Wrexham on 20 April 2010, starting in a 1–0 away defeat to Oxford United.[3] Hunt played just five times over the following two seasons,[4][5] finally breaking through as a first-team regular during the second half of the 2011–12 campaign.[6] He played in the Conference Premier play-offs that season as Wrexham narrowly lost to Luton Town at the semi-final stage.[3]

The 2012–13 season marked Hunt's first full season in the first-team at Wrexham,[7] with his first professional goal coming in a 1–1 draw with Ebbsfleet United on 18 August 2012.[8] Hunt scored the winning penalty as Wrexham won the FA Trophy courtesy of a 4–1 penalty shootout victory over Grimsby Town at Wembley Stadium on 24 March 2013.[9] Hunt would return to Wembley two months later as Wrexham made the Conference Premier play-off final in May 2013,[7] playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 defeat to Newport County, meaning Wrexham would remain in the Conference Premier.[10] Later that month he signed a new contract with Wrexham.[11] He made 49 appearances during the campaign, scoring three times.[7]

During the 2013–14 season, Hunt played in defence, midfield and also as a striker.[12] He received the first red card of his career for a tackle on Curtis Weston in a 1–1 draw with Barnet on 13 October 2013.[13] He finished as the club's top goalscorer for the campaign with 12 goals in 46 appearances, ending the season playing as a striker and scoring four goals in the club's final six league matches.[14][15] With his contract set to expire, Hunt turned down a new contract offer from Wrexham in June 2014, with Wrexham stating he was set to join "an unnamed League Two club".[16]

Hunt subsequently signed a two-year contract with League Two club Cambridge United on 11 June 2014.[17] Despite being out of contract, Wrexham stated they had agreed a compensation package with Cambridge for the player as he was under the age of 23.[16][17] Having not played for Cambridge a month into the 2014–15 season,[18] Hunt returned to Wrexham on 1 September 2014, on a loan deal until January 2015.[19] He made 14 appearances during the four-month spell, scoring once, before returning to Cambridge.[18]

On his return to Cambridge, Hunt made his Football League debut, coming on as a second-half substitute and scoring Cambridge's first goal in a 3–2 away loss against Luton Town on 31 January 2015.[20] Hunt struggled to cement a first-team place at Cambridge and made nine appearances for the club, scoring once.[18] He left Cambridge when his contract was terminated by mutual consent in June 2015.[21]

On the same day his departure from Cambridge was announced, Hunt joined National League club Chester on a free transfer.[22] He made a goalscoring debut for Chester when he "beat two Braintree defenders before curling into the far corner" in a 1–0 home victory over Braintree Town on 8 August 2015.[23] Hunt was a regular throughout the campaign as he made 49 appearances in all competitions, scoring three times, as Chester consolidated their place in the National League courtesy of a 17th-place finish.[24] He signed a new one-year contract on 23 June 2016.[25]

He kept his place as the club's first choice left-back during the 2016–17 season, playing 41 times and scoring once.[26] During the campaign, Hunt was also sent-off twice within the space of four appearances, consequently missing six matches through suspension at the start of 2017.[26] Hunt and Chester held "initial talks" over a new contract in January 2017.[27] Despite talks continuing in March that year,[28] no deal was agreed, and Chester decided against offering Hunt a new contract.[27] He left the club upon the expiry of his contract in May 2017.[27] Hunt stated his surprise at not being offered a new contract and added he "would've signed a contract there and then" had it been offered.[27] He made 90 appearances for the club over his two seasons there.

Following his departure from Chester, Hunt signed for League Two club Mansfield Town on a free transfer on 23 May 2017.[29] He made his Mansfield debut three weeks into the new campaign, playing the whole match in a 3–1 loss to Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy.[30] Hunt was originally second choice left-back to Malvind Benning at the start of the season, but cemented his place a first-team regular from September through to December 2017,[31] with Mansfield manager Steve Evans stating Hunt was "in front of Benning by a nose".[32] Following a change of management, Hunt made just three appearances during the second half of the season.[31] He was subsequently transfer-listed upon the conclusion of the 2017–18 season on 10 May 2018.[33] New Mansfield manager David Flitcroft stated Hunt had asked to be guaranteed first-team football, which he could not do, and that Hunt's position in the squad could also prevent the progress of youth graduate left-back Henri Wilder.[34] Hunt made 21 appearances during his one season at Mansfield.[31]

Hunt signed for fellow League Two club Stevenage on 26 June 2018, joining the club on a free transfer.[34][35] He made his Stevenage debut in the club's opening match of the 2018–19 season, a 2–2 draw with Tranmere Rovers at Broadhall Way, in which he was sent-off for two bookable offences.[36] Hunt made 33 appearances during the season as Stevenage finished in tenth position in League Two, one point off of the play-off places.[37][38] He was released by Stevenage at the end of the season.[39]

Hunt signed for Scottish Premiership club Hamilton Academical on 1 July 2019.[40]

On 29 October 2020, Hunt joined National League North side Kettering Town.[41] On 14 November 2020, it was announced that Hunt had left the club after having played just one game for the Poppies.[42]

On 20 December 2020, Hunt signed for Cymru North side Prestatyn Town.[43]