Russell Hoult began his career at Leicester, before moving to Derby in 1995 for a fee of £200,000. He helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in 1996. In 2001, he moved to West Brom, where he again won promotion to the Premier League in 2002.  He was selected as part of the PFA Team of the year, setting a club record for most clean sheets in one season. In 2005, Hoult was part of the West Brom team that performed the 'Great Escape' and survived relegation from the Premier League.