George Hall (footballer, born 2004)
 Pictured in January 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George Cardinal Joseph Hall[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 July 2004[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Redditch, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Walsall (on loan from Birmingham City) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2021 | Birmingham City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021– | Birmingham City | 40 | (2) |
| 2024– | → Walsall (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2021–2022 | England U18 | 8 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | England U19[3] | 6 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:41, 23 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
George Cardinal Joseph Hall (born 15 July 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League Two club Walsall, on loan from EFL League One club Birmingham City. Hall has represented England at under-18 and under-19 levels.
Early life and career
[edit]Hall was born in Redditch, Worcestershire,[4] where he lived in the Walkwood district and attended Astwood Bank First School[5] and St Bede's Catholic Middle School. He helped their Year 8 football team reach the final of the ESFA Under-13 Schools' Cup, and scored the second goal of their 2–0 win in the final.[6][7] He joined Birmingham City's academy from Headless Cross under-8s in 2012,[5] and took up a two-year scholarship with the club in July 2020.[8] According to the then head of professional development phase, Mike Dodds, "He was a very versatile player in the younger age groups before holding down a regular position in the centre of midfield in his Under-16 season. Athletic and box-to-box, he has started to show good signs of progression both technically and tactically."[8]
Club career
[edit]In 2020–21 Hall was a member of Birmingham's under-18 team that finished as runners-up in the Northern Section of their league,[9] and came from behind against Charlton Athletic's U18 in the national semi-finals only to lose to a last-minute goal.[10] As well as playing for the under-18s, he started several matches for Birmingham's under-23 team in the 2021–22 Premier League 2.[4] Amid reported interest from Premier League clubs including Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United, Newcastle United and Southampton, Birmingham did not want to risk losing Hall the same way that they lost Amari Miller to Leeds.[11] Hall signed his first professional contract with Birmingham on 24 November 2021.[12] Under-18s coach Martyn Olorenshaw described him as "an attacking midfielder with an ability to create and score goals [who] is explosive, dynamic and has the prowess to influence games."[12]
He was an unused substitute for Birmingham's Championship visit to Millwall on 4 December,[13] and he made his senior debut on 2 January 2022, starting alongside fellow 17-year-old Jordan James in support of Troy Deeney at home to Queens Park Rangers. He played 84 minutes before being replaced by Scott Hogan as Birmingham tried and failed to come back from 2–1 down.[14] He scored his first senior goal on 16 August 2022, opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw at home to Watford in the Championship.[15] Despite interruptions due to injury,[16][17] Hall made 30 Championship appearances during his breakthrough campaign, and was voted Birmingham's Young Player of the Season for 2022–23.[18]
On 1 September 2023, Hall signed a three-year contract extension with Birmingham City, and said, "Extending my contract, there is a different feel around the place and I am happy to be here for a few more years. I feel like we are going in one direction and that is upwards. I wanted to be a part of it, especially being here for so long."[19] He missed much of the 2023–24 season with hamstring and other injuries,[20][21] but was able to make a few substitute appearances in the latter stages of the campaign as the team failed to avoid relegation to League One.[22]
Walsall (loan)
[edit]With the aim of playing regular first-team football, Hall joined League Two club Walsall on 30 August 2024 on loan for the season.[22][23]
International career
[edit]Hall received his first call-up to the England under-18 squad in November 2021.[24] He played in all three of England's matches in the Pinatar Tournament in Spain, starting in a loss to the Netherlands and a win against Portugal and coming on in a goalless draw with Belgium, and made two more appearances in March 2022.[25] Hall scored his first international goal during a 3–2 victory over Austria in Croatia on 7 June 2022.[26]
After eight appearances for the under-18s,[3] Hall was included in the England under-19 squad for three Euro qualifiers to be played in Denmark.[27] He made his under-19 debut on 21 September 2022, starting in a 2–0 win over Montenegro.[28]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of match played 2 November 2024
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Birmingham City | 2021–22[29] | Championship | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022–23[30] | Championship | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24[31] | Championship | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25[32] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 2 | |||
| Walsall (loan) | 2024–25[32] | League Two | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Career total | 43 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 2 | ||
- ^ Appearance in EFL Trophy
Honours
[edit]Individual
- Birmingham City Young Player of the Season: 2022–23[18]
References
[edit]- ^ "Club list of registered players" (PDF). English Football League. 15 May 2021. p. 6. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "George Hall". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ a b "George Hall: Internationals". worldfootball.net. HeimSpiel Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
- ^ a b "George Hall: Profile". worldfootball.net. HeimSpiel Medien. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Hall signs for Blues". Redditch Advertiser. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ Moakes, Liam (23 March 2017). "St Bede's boys through to prestigious national final". Redditch Standard. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "2016–2017 Competitions: ESFA Boys Under 13 PlayStation Schools' Cup: Round 10". English Schools' Football Association. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Meet Blues new Academy Scholars". Birmingham City F.C. 1 October 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Report: Swansea City Under-18s 0 Blues Under-18s 3". Birmingham City F.C. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Report: Charlton Athletic Under-18s 3 Blues Under-18s 2". Birmingham City F.C. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ Dicken, Alex (13 November 2021). "Birmingham City make transfer move to avoid Leeds United repeat". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ a b "George Hall signs Blues pro deal!". Birmingham City F.C. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ "G. Hall". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ Townley, John (2 January 2022). "Birmingham City player ratings vs QPR as spirited Blues defeated". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ "Birmingham City 1–1 Watford". BBC Sport. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- ^ Dick, Brian (2 February 2023). "Birmingham City set to be without seven players for Swansea City clash". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ Dicken, Alex (2 May 2023). "Chong, Hall, Gardner: Birmingham City injury latest after blow at Coventry City". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Awards 23: Winners revealed". Birmingham City F.C. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Blues' George Hall signs contract extension!". Birmingham City F.C. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ Dicken, Alex (28 July 2023). "George Hall suffers injury setback as Birmingham City reveal Ethan Laird blow". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Dicken, Alex (7 December 2023). "George Hall suffers another devastating blow as Birmingham City await triple injury boost". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ a b Dicken, Alex (13 August 2024). "Birmingham City make George Hall transfer plan after double snub". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "George Hall joins the Saddlers on loan from Birmingham City". Walsall F.C. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Smith, Frank (5 November 2021). "England MU18s squad for November triple-header". England Football. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "Match results under 18 2020–2030". England Football Online. Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Match Report: England MU18s 3–2 Austria". England Football. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ Smith, Frank (16 September 2022). "England MU19 squad as EURO title defence begins". England Football. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ^ Smith, Frank (21 September 2022). "Report: England MU19s 2-0 Montenegro". England Football. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ "Games played by George Hall in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
- ^ "Games played by George Hall in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ "Games played by George Hall in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Games played by George Hall in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2024.