CHRIS HUSSEY | DEFENCE
PLAYER BIO
Vastly experienced left-sided defender with nearly 500 EFL appearances under his belt, who joined the Pitmen in January 2025 from Southern Premier League Central side Stratford Town for an undisclosed fee
London-born and initially a junior at AFC Wimbledon, Hussey moved to Blue Square Premier side Woking to join the U21 side in 2006, being promoted to the first team in the 2007-2008 season. After a successful first half of the campaign for the Cards, he returned to Wimbledon in January 2008 on a two-year contract, working his way into the team and making fourteen starts at Kingsmeadow over the next year. During this spell, Hussey also spent a month out on loan at Southern League South West side Windsor & Eton towards the end of the 2008-2009 season
His form for Wimbledon had seen bigger teams flocking to Kingsmeadow to watch him, with Championship side Coventry City paying Wimbledon £95,000 to take the full-back to the Ricoh Arena in October 2009. After making a handful of appearances that season for the Sky Blues, Hussey was sent to Crewe Alexandra on loan at the start of the following campaign where he failed to make an appearance
Relegation to League One came to Coventry in 2011-202, handing Hussey more game time the following season to make it fifty starts for the Sky Blues in his four seasons there before he returned to now-League Two outfit Wimbledon in January 2013. His stay this time was a short one, with only eighteen starts, before he elected to return to the Midlands in July 2013 to join fellow League Two side Burton Albion
After a consistent season at the Pirelli Stadium and thirty starts for the Brewers, Hussey spent the back end of the campaign out on loan at league rivals Bury, who made the move a permanent one in July 2014 upon the end of his one-year contract with Burton
The next two seasons saw Hussey as a mainstay of the Shakers defence. They earned themselves promotion to League One in 2014-2015 and finished in a respectable sixteenth position the year after. At the end of his Bury deal, Hussey made the move to fallen Premier League side Sheffield United, now plying their trade in League One
An in-and-out 2016-2017 season saw Hussey only used sparingly but the Blades, making only eight starts for them as they romped to the League One title and a return to the Championship for the first time in seven years. In his second season at Bramall Lane, Hussey was to spend the entirety of the year out on loan at League One strugglers Swindon Town, making nineteen appearances for the Robins as they were relegated to League Two
At the age of 29, the crucial move of Hussey's career came in the summer of 2018 as he completed a free transfer move to League Two side Cheltenham Town. He spent the next four seasons at Whaddon Road, making nearly 150 starts and helping Cheltenham to the League Two title in 2020-2021
Port Vale spent an undisclosed amount to bring the defender to Vale Park in January 2022, with Hussey making seventeen starts in League Two before departing for league rivals Stockport County in September 2022
Thirty-three starts at Edgeley Park for Hussey helped County to the League Two play-offs in their first season back in the Football League, with Stockport losing in the play-off final to Carlisle United in May 2023
Another return to the Midlands in July 2023 saw Hussey join League Two Walsall on a short-term contract, where he played six times before electing to retire from full-time football in September 2023 to concentrate on his off-the-field business interests and maximise his Masters Degree. He elected to drop into non-league football for the first time in fifteen years with a move to Stratford Town, playing over thirty times for the Bards in 2023-2024
After agreeing terms with Stratford to remain for 2024-2025, Hussey was thrust into his first taste of management in November 2024 after Gavin Hurren left his position there to become the new Hednesford manager, with the veteran defender handed the reins on a caretaker basis. Within six weeks, Hussey was to follow his former gaffer to Keys Park, with the Pitmen paying a small fee to take the 36-year-old to Keys Park