| view Hall's match-by-match record |
| Grant HALL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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One of a number of players to join from Tottenham in the 2013/14 close season, Hall signed on a season long loan having been recommended to the club - and the ball playing centre back stated that he wanted to help Swindon to go one stage further than the previous season, when he watched Spurs team-mates Massimo Luongo and Nathan Byrne, as the Town were knocked out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage. Hall made his debut on the opening day of the season, with the Town unlucky to lose 1-0 at Peterborough - the defender caught out by a long ball early in the game, Brett Assombalonga taking advantage to give the Posh the lead. Despite this, Hall generally impressed in his opening games for the club, and though he admitted to feeling like he had been “thrown in at the deep end”, he was praised by captain and defensive partner Darren Ward, as they began to develop their understanding. Neither of the defenders were quick though, and boss Mark Cooper tried to solve the Town’s inconsistency by tinkering with his formation - moving to three at the back on occasions, with the usually right-sided Nathan Thompson moving into the centre. Hall came in for criticism for a run of poor form, capped when he was held partially responsible for all four goals in a thumping against Conference side Macclesfield in the FA Cup. With a lack of fit defensive options, Cooper stated that Hall would have to learn from his mistakes - soon calling for both Hall and Ward to improve their decision making - though after improved performances in victories over Wycombe and Colchester, Cooper praised the young defender for his strength of character. Hall himself commented that he had been distraught after his display at Macclesfield, and revealed that a more positive approach to his game had helped him to rediscover his form. At the end of the year, a twisted ankle forced Hall off early in the second half of a 1-1 draw at Bradford - and when he returned to action in mid-January, with Jay McEveley also out injured, Hall took up a new position on the left side of a back four. When McEveley returned two games later, Hall was moved back into a three man central defence at Gillingham, but was stretchered off with a calf injury, originally reported as keeping him out for six to eight weeks. After completing his rehabilitation at Tottenham, Hall returned to the bench in mid-April, taking to the field for the final moments of a 1-0 win over Brentford, but that proved to be his last action in a Town shirt - missing the next game with an injury reported as a “minor knock”, he was later revealed to to have torn ligaments, and he didn’t return to the squad before the season was out. PLAYING RECORD:
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date of birth
usual positions central defence youth career senior career |
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ENGLAND
