Talismanic striker Oli McBurnie has urged his Hull City teammates not to waste the last 10 months of blood, sweat and tears.
City go into Saturday’s final game of the regular season knowing victory gives them the best chance of leapfrogging Wrexham to clinch the final play-off spot.
McBurnie has been City‘s leading marksman this term with 15 goals in the Championship, and boss Sergej Jakirovic will be looking to the 29-year-old to deliver a performance to end the season strongly, and ensure it gets extended by at least two more games, and their Premier League dream remains alive.
A key voice inside a dressing room that boasts more than 2,000 Championship appearances, McBurnie is keen for his colleagues not to pass up the chance to end the season in style, having spent the majority of the campaign inside the top six.
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“We’ve been the team that’s overperforming all year. Everyone’s been saying we’re going to drop off, and it’s suited us at times,” McBurnie told Hull Live.
“A lot of games we’ve gone 1-0 up, and naturally, we’re gonna play a different way and not going to create as many chances when we are winning. All that matters is the points that are on the board. We’re not here by luck; we’re not here by anyone else giving it to us. We’re here because we’ve worked extremely hard to get to this position, and we’ve played well.
“It’s just about now going out on Saturday and making all that worthwhile. It’s been a long season, 10 months, whatever it is, of grafting every day to get into this position. I’ve just gotta speak with the lads and say, ‘Listen, do you wanna make it all worthwhile or do you want to not’?
“Those 10 months will be a complete waste if we don’t go out there on Saturday and win, so whatever you’ve got, lads will be feeling tired, they’ll be having niggles, whatever it is, go out there for 90 minutes and give everything you can to get to where we wanna be.”
City will be roared on by a sell-out MKM Stadium crowd, desperate to see their side finish the season with a first win in seven league outings, and McBurnie’s message is simple.
“Just stick with us, just make it as tough a place for the away team to come as possible, like I know that they can,” he continued.
“Just stick behind us. Don’t think that, as a fan, you can have that much of an influence, but trust me, you really can.
“When there’s that run that you need to do, that extra sprint you need to do, that header you need to go and win, if you’ve got the fans they’re giving you that extra five per cent, it really, really does make a difference.
“Give us everything you can for 100 minutes, and we’ll go out there and try to make you proud.”
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