Player Profile

The muscular target man has returned to parent club Villarreal after a difficult season on loan at relegated Hull.

Altidore marked his full debut with a goal against Southend in the League Cup but his first, and only, Premier League goal came in February during a 2-1 home win over Manchester City.

His final act was to head-butt Sunderland’s Alan Hutton, earning him a three-match ban and two-week fine despite his apology on Twitter.

He was given compassionate leave in January following the earthquake in Haiti, where his parents were born and more than a dozen of his family members still live. They were all found safe.

Altidore became the youngest American to score an international hat-trick in March 2009 in the World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago. He also scored in the USA’s shock win over Spain in last summer’s Confederations Cup semi-final and played in the final against Brazil.

He began his professional career as a 16-year-old at the New York Red Bulls in 2006, scoring 15 goals in 37 appearances over two seasons to earn a $10m (£6.84m) move to Villarreal - the largest fee ever paid for an MLS player.

He became the first American ever to score in La Liga on 1 November 2008 against Athletic Bilbao. After six league games, he moved on loan to Second Division Xerez, but did not get a game.