The experienced defender added valuable experience to City’s squad in the remaining weeks
Paddy McNair and John Lundstram with Kim Hellberg and Aidan Morris at Wembley(Image: John Walton/PA Wire)
Paddy McNair says Hull City’s promotion to the Premier League is a prime example of why you should never give up hope when there’s still a chance of success.
McNair fronted up after City’s 2-1 loss at Charlton Athletic on the penultimate weekend of the regular season, before Wrexham’s crucial loss 24 hours later against Coventry City saw the momentum pendulum swing again and give the Tigers renewed hope going into the final weekend.
Boss Sergej Jakirovic admitted after that defeat at The Valley that he felt City’s play-off hopes had been all but extinguished, while many fans had written off their hopes, but three weeks on from that loss in London, the Tigers were back in the capital, lifting the Championship play-off final trophy and celebrating promotion to the Premier League.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest Hull City news and analysis on our Hull Live FB page
McNair, who arrived at the MKM Stadium in January, was able to celebrate his first promotion as a player against his former club, Middlesbrough, though he admits there was a feeling of disappointment after the players headed back to East Yorkshire following that loss against the Addicks, who themselves secured safety with that victory.
“I remember that Charlton conversation, and I did say it changes quickly, doesn’t it? It’s been an amazing, amazing few weeks, and if we go back to the Charlton game, it was a bit of a sort of doom and gloom after that,” the Northern Irishman told Hull Live.
“We thought it was gone, but no, it was amazing. The last few weeks have been brilliant for the club, the city, everything. It’s great to be a part of.
“In football, things can change very quickly for the good and the bad. Thankfully, it was pretty good for us. It’s an amazing experience with my first promotion, a lot of the lads’ first promotions. You just have to enjoy it because you know football’s a hard sport and these moments don’t come around often.”
Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.