Ryan Giles is back and ready for the fight at Hull City as he looks to rediscover the form that saw the Tigers pay £4m to bring him to the club 12 months ago.
Giles has endured a difficult career at the MKM Stadium and, by his own admission, admits it hasn’t yet gone to plan, but hopes that will change now.
The Telford-born defender spent the second half of last season on loan at Middlesbrough after a six-month courtship finally saw him return to the Riverside Stadium, though that move didn’t work out and Michael Carrick’s exit scuppered any faint hope of a return.
Now, the 25-year-old is set to be a firm fixture under Sergej Jakirovic and showed a glimpse of his quality at Stockport County on Saturday when his run and cross teed up the winner for now departed striker Mason Burstow. Boss Jakirovic says he values Giles and wants to give him the confidence to perform, something which is music to the ears of the former Wolves youngster.
“That’s what gets the best out of me, and he’s given me that licence to try and replicate that and create the chances that I know I can,” Giles said in a candid interview with Hull Live.
“Every manager has a way of going about things, and I’ll always respect whatever way they want to go about things, but I know from my perspective what will get the best out of me.
“I feel like the way the gaffer has given me that licence to get forward will get the best out of me. I’m excited. I know there are still players to come through the door and there will be competition for places and that’s important because we need a good squad to compete this year, because it’s going to be a tough league and a tough season, so yes, long may it continue.”
Twelve months ago, Giles was kept out of all media coverage during the club’s pre-season training camp in Turkey amid talks with Boro. While that move didn’t happen, the former Wolves youngster endured a strange period of being in and out of the team under Tim Walter, before being sidelined when Ruben Selles arrived in January.
Giles was the subject of fan criticism for some performances, and then an interview following his Teesside return, but says his summer break has given him time to contemplate a difficult year, and what he wants moving forward.
“I think I’m ready (for the fight),” he says. “I went away in the summer and I did a bit of reflecting. Last year was an up-and-down season for me.
“I don’t think my Hull City career has probably got going the way it probably should, and I think the off-season was a good chance for me to go away, reflect, and come back and be ready for that fight.
“Obviously, there’s going to be competition for places, I know that, but I’ve just got to pull my socks up and give it a go. I just feel like if I’m given the licence that the gaffer gives me, then I think I can help the team.”
Things at City just now are anything but stable given the EFL restrictions, while the change in manager over the summer has led to yet more upheaval for players, staff and fans alike.
Despite that, however, Giles believes it’s important for him to shut out all the noise around the Tigers and focus on playing football, and repaying the faith Jakirovic has in him.
“I think that’s probably been the biggest problem,” Giles explained. “I probably got caught up in all of that if I’m being completely honest, but that’s the beauty of being able to go away and think, you know what, cut all that out, ignore all that, focus on me and try and do ultimately what I’m good at.
“Think that’s what I’ve tried to instil in me going through the off-season. Unless I’m told otherwise, I’m here for the fight; it’s as simple as that.
“I’m here for the dog fight, and I’m here to try and help this club get to where it wants to be. That’s the biggest message I have to everybody, to all the fans; I’m here to try and make it work.”
Two seasons ago, during his loan at the Riverside Stadium, Giles racked up 11 assists as Boro roared to the Championship play-offs. In pre-season, City have seen glimpses of that quality, something he’s desperate to rediscover.
“I want that as well (the Ryan Giles of the 22/23 season). Just to make it clear, I want that as well. Like I said before, managers have their way of going about things, and I’m a player who probably suits a particular style in a particular way. I don’t want to get too caught up in all of it.
“I just need to get my head down. If the manager’s giving me the licence to get forward and do what I feel like I’m good at, then I can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Other Championship clubs have expressed interest in Giles this summer, and given the club’s current EFL issues, a future sale cannot be ruled out before the window closes. However, the club knows they are unlikely to be able to get a player of his quality, so they must find a way to make it work.
Giles says that as long as the club wants him, he’s here and ready for the battle that lies ahead at City. “Unless I’m told otherwise, I’m here for the fight, and it’s as simple as that for me.
“I’ve got to do the business on the pitch, of course I have. I’m not taking it for granted, and I expect that someone else will probably come in and compete with me in that spot. I think that competition for places is important.
“We ultimately need to get the best out of ourselves. It’s great that I feel like I’ve felt that belief from him already. It’s only been a couple of weeks, I’m only two weeks in, but I feel good. I feel the confidence, and I think that assist (against Stockport) will also give me that confidence to keep going.
“I just need to keep getting my head down, not get too caught up in all the noise outside, and that’s the biggest thing for me this year. I’m not getting too caught up in all of that. As I say, my message to everyone is that I’m here for the fight unless I’m told otherwise. I’m here to try and make my Hull City career work.”
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