Mark Hudson (footballer, born 1982)

Mark Hudson
Hudson playing for Cardiff City in 2014
Personal information
Full name Mark Alexander Hudson[1]
Date of birth (1982-03-30) 30 March 1982 (age 42)[2]
Place of birth Guildford, England
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
Ipswich Town (first team coach)
Youth career
0000–1999 Fulham
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2004 Fulham 0 (0)
2003Oldham Athletic (loan) 11 (0)
2003Oldham Athletic (loan) 4 (0)
2004Crystal Palace (loan) 14 (0)
2004–2008 Crystal Palace 106 (7)
2008–2009 Charlton Athletic 43 (3)
2009–2014 Cardiff City 144 (11)
2014–2017 Huddersfield Town 102 (5)
Total 424 (26)
Managerial career
2018–2019 Huddersfield Town U23s
2019 Huddersfield Town (caretaker)
2019 Huddersfield Town (caretaker)
2022–2023 Cardiff City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Alexander Hudson (born 30 March 1982) is an English football manager and former professional footballer who is currently first team coach at Ipswich Town. A centre-back, he began his professional career with Fulham after progressing through the club's youth academy. He made his senior debut in a League Cup match in 2000 but made just two further first team appearances for Fulham. He spent two spells on loan with Oldham Athletic in 2003 before joining Crystal Palace on loan after Oldham manager Iain Dowie moved between the two clubs. He joined Palace on a permanent basis soon after as they spent one season in the Premier League before establishing himself in the first team following their return to the Championship.

In 2008, he joined Charlton Athletic following the expiration of his contract where he was later appointed captain of the side but suffered relegation to League One during his only season at the club. He instead joined Cardiff City and was appointed captain on his arrival. He helped the side reach the play-offs in his first three seasons, suffering defeat each time, before they won promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship in 2013. However, Hudson was dropped following promotion in favour of new signings and made only nine further appearances in over a year before departing for Huddersfield Town.

He again took over the captaincy soon after his arrival and made over 100 appearances for the club during a three-year spell, helping them win promotion to the Premier League in his final season. He announced his retirement from playing at the end of the 2016–17 season and was appointed manager of the club's under-23 squad before becoming Huddersfield's caretaker manager on two occasions, in addition to working as a first-team coach.

Hudson was most recently manager of Cardiff City in what was first permanent managerial position having been promoted from first-team coach following an impressive interim period.

  1. ^ "2018/19 Premier League clubs' released lists". Premier League. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.