Alan McCafu

[dave.woodhall]

bonkers deal, fair play to Hutton but 12 month extension would have been more than sufficient.

Which he would have probably turned down and gone somewhere else.

and?

If we are to be anyway competitive as a football club we will need a better full back than the re-packaged Alan Hutton.

And for a start if an in-form first-team regular had signed for someone else in January the screams of "How low have we sunk....." would have been heard in outer space.

[Meanwood Villa]

It is a remarkable turnaround. I don't think anyone can truthfully say they still wanted him at the club for any of the last couple of years but as always it's what happens on the pitch that counts and if he keeps performing for the duration of his contract we'll all be happy.

[chrisw1]

Also does anyone ITK know how much his original deal was worth v the new deal?

Same goes for Gabby - does anyone have a decent idea?

I'd guess the money has stayed the same, and it's the length of the deals that were the bigger selling point. I don't think, certainly in Huttons case, we'd have upped the pay.
Gabby must be on a fair bit too, so I think he's probably just maintained parity, which for 4 years is good going.

I'd be amazed if either of them were on the same money.  That would be bonkers, particularly for Hutton if his current wage was deemed enough to warrant the bomb squad status.

[ozzjim]

A couple of places said Gabby had taken a cut. If reports he was on more than 55k a week are true, I certainly hope he is nearer 40 now. Likewise Hutton signs a 3 year deal here on 30k, it is in his best interests as it is still more than he would get otherwise, and is now at least playing. No one is going to pay either more than that in all reality.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

Does the 3 years start from now, therefore including the current year he has left, so in fact it is only a 2 year extension?

I think on the O/S it said he had signed till June 2017.

[Toronto Villa]

I think the shock for most is the turnaround in this story. I don't see an issue in him signing a new deal because he is playing at a very high level. It says a lot about an individual that despite being kicked in the balls he still had the professionalism to fight through it and come out better at the other end. I'm sure he also understands from his experiences in the past two years that there aren't that many suitors out there and he is possibly in the very best situation he could be at this stage in his career.

[django]

I wonder if the owners of the club paid too much (i.e any) attention to the fan-forums. Hutton was the sort of player who after one bad game would get loads of comments saying he was the worst full-back ever to play for us and should never wear our shirt again.

It doesn't seem as if Lambert and Hutton had a falling out, and trying to force him out hasn't saved us any money, so there must be another reason.

[Toronto Villa]

Hutton always maintained that Lambert was supportive of him even though he wasn't picking him. There is more to the whole era than has been told.

[dave.woodhall]

I wonder if the owners of the club paid too much (i.e any) attention to the fan-forums. Hutton was the sort of player who after one bad game would get loads of comments saying he was the worst full-back ever to play for us and should never wear our shirt again.

It doesn't seem as if Lambert and Hutton had a falling out, and trying to force him out hasn't saved us any money, so there must be another reason.

They certainly weren't by the time he was signed, bearing in mind who signed him.

[martin o`who??]

I think the shock for most is the turnaround in this story. I don't see an issue in him signing a new deal because he is playing at a very high level. It says a lot about an individual that despite being kicked in the balls he still had the professionalism to fight through it and come out better at the other end. I'm sure he also understands from his experiences in the past two years that there aren't that many suitors out there and he is possibly in the very best situation he could be at this stage in his career.

I dont really care about his motives for the sudden return to form (although they may make interesting reading) all i know is - its a massive bonus for all concerned and long may it continue.

[damon loves JT]

The Scots get the Queen, the pound and membership of NATO. We get Alan Hutton

[Ian.]

Hutton always maintained that Lambert was supportive of him even though he wasn't picking him. There is more to the whole era than has been told.

I think your quite right, something has been going on behind the scenes which might come out one day.

As regards Hutton I think it's great that a player who has been extremely professional during a very bleak period in his career, has turned things around and put his heart and soul as well as play very well for us has been given this new contract. Fair play to him, I don't normally criticise many players for form and ability but I did him.

[darren woolley]

As long as he keeps performing on the pitch I don't mind him signing a new contract.

[pauliewalnuts]

As long as he keeps performing on the pitch I don't mind him signing a new contract.

nailed it.

[kippaxvilla2]

New contracts being signed/offered left, right and centre coupled with the signings and financial committments associated with Cleverley and Sanchez would suggest that something in the background has changed more dramatically than merely appointing a new ceo perhaps?

I don't think so.

Let's not forget, we've just spent 7m in the summer transfer window. That's not the sign of an enormous investment in the club, nor is offering new contracts to our best players.

Thank God for the 'new owner' otherwise it would've been 3.5m