With their 120th anniversary on the horizon, Hull City's enlisted past and present stars to feature in a commemorative video. The centuries old walls of the city's Guildhall made a fitting backdrop to an ensemble of some of the greatest to ever to pull on a black and amber shirt.
Whilst all nine of the players featured rank as legends in their own right, the path to Tigers immortality looked very different for each man.
In the case of Garreth Roberts, a life in black and amber was all he ever knew, spending the entirety of his eleven year playing career as a Tiger. Skilful winger Brian Marwood became a City phenom in his youth before going on to later win a First Division title with Arsenal.
No introduction is needed for the prolific Ken Wagstaff who arrived in Hull and never looked back, scoring 197 times for the Tigers and remaining in the city long after his playing career ended. The likes of Justin Whittle and Curtis Davies enjoyed spells at numerous clubs but used their time in East Yorkshire to etch their names into Tigers folklore. Andy Dawson and David Meyler had successful playing careers at City and to this day remain at the club in a coaching capacity.
Appearing at the end of the video is Nick Barmby, a former England international who abandoned the spoils of topflight football to serve his boyhood club in their emphatic climb up the football pyramid.
The only current player to feature is Lewie Coyle who takes on the role of narrator. Like the men he shares the screen with, City's current club captain has been on his own unique journey to hero status. Coyle joined City in the summer of 2020 and whilst the defender's move to the Tigers represented a return to his place of birth, to call Hull his footballing home would be far from the truth.
Hull City legends pose for a photo to celebrate 120 years of the club (Hull City)
After impressing as a schoolboy, it wasn't long before clubs outside of Hull began to take notice of Coyle's talents. At just seven years of age, the highly rated youngster sought greener pastures to the West and joined Leeds United's academy.
After rising through the ranks in West Yorkshire, Coyle made his debut for the Whites in December 2015. Whilst his first year in the senior team yielded just a handful of appearances, Coyle was given time to prove his worth with a new two-year deal the following season. Speaking at the time the defender made no attempt to hide his desires to stay at Elland Road:
“I’m delighted to sign an extension and to have committed my future to the club... I’ve been here since the age of seven, so the thought of not being here is a daunting one!"
Unfortunately for Coyle, Marcelo Biesla arrived at Leeds as a man with little time for sentimentality and after two seasons on loan at Fleetwood Town, Coyle was allowed to join the Cods permanently. After featuring heavily for the Lancashire outfit in the 2019/20 season, the following summer saw Coyle join the Tigers to aid their quest back to the Championship.
Coyle came to East Yorkshire alongside fellow right back Joshua Emmanuel, a free agent who was previously on the books at Bolton Wanderers. The pair shared duties in their first season each featuring 28 times as Grant McCann's side were crowned champions of England's third tier.
Hull City celebrate winning the League One title in 2021 (Hull Live)
Coyle even had the privilege of captaining his side during the latter stages of the campaign, although club captain Richie Smallwood was given the honours of lifting the Tigers' first league title since 1966.
Despite becoming an integral part of City's side, the defender struggled in the subsequent campaign, failing to establish himself in McCann's now preferred 3-5-2 system. Opportunities for Coyle to wear the captain's armband were also few and far between, leading his side out on just three occasions.
Whilst McCann had all but written off Coyle, the defender was given a new lease of life following the arrival of new owner Acun Ilicali. The Turkish media mogul made his first order of business to dismiss McCann and install Shota Arveladze as the Tigers' new manager.
In many respects, Coyle's rebirth as a Hull City player can be pinpointed to a single game, a 2-1 victory over Cardiff City in April 2022. His first glimpse of action in almost two months, the Good Friday fixture saw the right back showcase just how good he can be.
After Allahyar Sayyadmanesh's early effort put the Tigers one goal ahead, Coyle curled a sweet strike into the bottom corner to double City's lead. The remainder of the game saw the right back put in a diligent defensive display to help his side to their first home win since January.
The subsequent summer saw the higher ups at the MKM Stadium elect to not offer fresh terms to Richie Smallwood, allowing the Tigers' captain to walk as a free agent. With a leadership vacuum in the side, it was decided that Coyle would be the man to step up and take his team into the next season.
The defender's exploits in black and amber had managed to win over even the most tribal of fans and in just two seasons Coyle had managed to complete his transformation from Elland Road prodigy to City stalwart.
Lewie Coyle celebrates scoring for Hull City against Cardiff City (The Hull Story)
Forgiveness and football fandom rarely go hand in hand. A minor indiscretion can leave a player on the opposition fans' hit list, subjecting them to a world of abuse for years to come.
Of course the fickle nature of supporters is a two-way street with previous offences quickly brushed aside if a player moves to their club and starts to play well (just ask Fraizer Campbell). Whilst goals are a striker's currency to win over fans' hearts, those further back can curry favour by expressing the same passion for the badge as those sat in the stands.
In the case of Coyle, there was no doubting his dedication to the Tigers. In the near 18 months that Liam Rosenior was at the helm of the club, City's captain became indispensable to his side; filling in on the left hand side of defence in times of injury and performing exceptionally in his natural position of right back.
Across periods of last season, Coyle also appeared to take the initiative to drive his team up the pitch. During the more lethargic phases of Rosenior's play the defender was often the one to beat his man and make a bursting run down the wing, sometimes creating a good chance out of relatively little.
Coyle also rarely shied away from stepping up at the back during the dying moments of games, fighting tooth and nail to protect the Tigers' precious points.
Unfortunately, the 28-year-old's tenacity towards winning the ball led to the defender suffering a string of facial injuries during the early passages of last season. Already nursing a broken nose courtesy of his own teammate, Coyle then went on to suffer a fractured eye socket a month later.
After missing just one game as a result of his injuries, Coyle was back out on the pitch and would not let a protective face mask or advice from the Tigers' medical staff stop him putting his body on the line for the club.
Despite his clear admiration for the Tigers, to dub Coyle purely a 'passion merchant' would be a disservice to his talents as a footballer. First signed as a useful asset for a side chasing promotion from League One, the defender has since become a player more than capable of swimming with some of the second tier's biggest talents.
Arguably Coyle's best stretch of form has come at the start of this season where the Tigers' captain has stood out as one of the most impressive players in Tim Walter's new look City side. It was previously thought that summer signing Cody Drameh would be the one to unseat the 28-year-old at right back however Coyle's recent performances have made him virtually undroppable.
With a goal and an assist to his name already this season, Coyle ranks as Hull's second best performer as per WhoScored's ratings, sitting just behind new arrival Mohammed Belloumi. The defender's stats for this season depict a player with bags of attacking confidence but also the defensive quality to back it up.
Now in his fifth season at the MKM Stadium, the 28-year-old looks as if he has found his footballing home back in the city where it all started. With 152 appearances for the Tigers already under his belt, there is every chance that Coyle ends his career as one of City's most capped players of the modern era.
Less than a decade ago, he could not imagine a world away from Leeds United, now Lewie Coyle stands shoulder to shoulder with Hull City legends as he continues his own journey towards Tigers immortality.
ความคิดเห็น