Robert Huth, a three-time Premier League winning centre-back, is most known for his important role in Leicester City’s 2016 top-flight triumph. However, he played the majority of his career with midlands rivals Stoke City.
Huth was a part-time player at Chelsea before moving to Middlesbrough in 2006, where he established himself in the Premier League.
After being relegated from Boro in 2009, he spent four games in the Championship before joining Stoke for a club-record sum of £5 million, which could increase to £6 million, on a four-and-a-half year contract.
Huth was a match made in heaven with then-Potters manager Tony Pulis, as his gritty, no-nonsense performances at the heart of Stoke’s backline made him a fan favourite in the Potteries for many years.
During his tenure at Stoke, he forged a solid connection with club legend Ryan Shawcross, and the pair is still regarded as one of the best centre-back duos in Potters history.
Huth eventually departed Stoke permanently in 2015, and while he went on to achieve incredible things with the Foxes, his tenure in North Staffordshire is still remembered as a huge success, thanks to the authoritative role he played in establishing the Potters in the top flight.
Robert Huth became a Stoke hero after his £5m move from Middlesbrough
Huth, born in Berlin, was a nasty defender who was not afraid to put his head where it hurts to earn his team’s victory, and it was these qualities that prompted hard-line Potters manager Pulis to let the club pay a record sum to bring him to the Britannia Stadium.
The German international was never afraid to take a tackle and frequently played through injury to benefit his team, missing only 16 league games in his first four seasons at Stoke as he swiftly established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet with Shawcross in the back four.
He also demonstrated his versatility with the Potters, spending much of his first season at the club playing either left or right-back, and his leadership was quickly recognised by manager Pulis, who gave him the captain’s armband in a cup game against former club Chelsea.
Huth scored nine goals in 44 appearances in the 2010/11 season. He participated in all but one game of the Potters’ memorable run to the FA Cup final in 2011, scoring in the quarter-finals against West Ham and the second in their 5-0 semi-final victory over Bolton Wanderers.
His outstanding performances earned him a new three-year deal in 2012, and he remained a regular under new manager Mark Hughes at the start of 2013/14, before a knee injury in November 2013 sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
In the next season, he experienced a reoccurring knee problem and only played four games for the Potters. He left the club in January 2015 on loan to Leicester.
Huth left Stoke permanently that summer, leaving behind nearly 200 appearances in red and white, as well as many fond memories of his time in the Potteries.
| Robert Huth Stoke career statistics (transfermarkt) | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 188 |
| Goals | 18 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Honours | FA Cup runner-up: 2010–11, Stoke City Player of the Year: 2011, Stoke City Players’ Player of the Year: 2011 |
Robert Huth believes his best football was played at Stoke
Huth is one of just 16 players to have won the Premier League with two different clubs, but his time at Stoke was memorable for a different reason: he spent the majority of his career in the Potteries, helping the club achieve some of its best seasons in history.
In a 2022 interview with StokeonTrentLive, he reflected on his six-year stint at the club, describing it as his best years in the game.
He stated, “It was tough, particularly under Tony (Pulis).”
“It worked for me, though. I am very similar to Tony in certain aspects; I am very black and white and say things as they are; he was exactly the same, and it just clicked.
“To be quite honest, I believe he got me playing the best football of my career at Stoke, which says a lot.
“Physically, I was in amazing shape – without a question, the best shape I’d ever been in; I was even cycling into training every day.
“Barring the occasional suspension, I played in almost every game, even one or two at right-back, though I’m not sure what he was thinking. I didn’t know how to take a throw-in, let alone play fullback.
“It was a terrific period for me, especially after being promoted to the centre. I enjoyed it; we had a very good side; we were strong, very tough, and had a lot of quality that may not have received the recognition it deserved.
“We were strong in the league, we had a great run in the FA Cup, thrashed Bolton in the semi-final and did pretty well in the Europa League too, so I really look back on my time at Stoke in a really positive manner.”
Huth acknowledged his “time was up” with Stoke, but his departure was “amicable,” something Potters fans would have preferred given his years of outstanding service.
Stoke attempted to replicate the Germany centre-back trick with the likes of Philipp Wollscheid and Kevin Wimmer in the years following Huth’s departure, but neither came close to replicating his impact in the Potteries, and few centre-backs have come close to his stature at the club in recent years, demonstrating how successful his 2009 move truly was.
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