Sorba Thomas flipped his car on a residential street near Hull City's training ground Friday morning and walked away without a scratch. The Land Rover Defender — which can run up to £160,000 — was photographed inverted on Millhouse Woods Lane in Cottingham, with Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic reportedly among those who turned up at the scene.
Hull didn't waste time getting the statement out: Thomas is "completely unscathed." Humberside Police closed the road while emergency services cleared the wreckage, and the vehicle was towed in time for the club's team bus to pass through on its way to London ahead of Saturday's Premier League fixture at Chelsea.
The timing could have been far worse
Thomas only joined the club on transfer deadline day from Stoke City for £10.5 million. He's made two appearances — a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa and a 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Sunderland — and hasn't yet had the chance to justify that fee. Hull need him fit.
This is a side sitting third in the Premier League table after beating Manchester United and Coventry City before that Villa draw. Jakirovic's praise for Thomas in Thursday's pre-match press conference was pointed: "He is sharp and has speed... he suits us a lot." A winger with 10 goals and 13 assists for Stoke last season, plus a Player of the Year award, is exactly the profile Hull need as they compete against clubs with far deeper resources. His availability for Stamford Bridge, where Hull's odds of causing an upset are already long, will be watched closely.
The crash took place on a 30mph street that local councilman Phil Redshaw described as a consistent problem. "I wrote to the Hull City club secretary on Sunday asking them to remind players to be careful driving down the road," he said, noting two parked cars — a blue Mini and a black 4x4 — also took damage in Friday's incident.
Thomas is fine. The street has a track record of near-misses. And Hull get on the bus to Chelsea.
