Hull FC will welcome back Yusuf Aydin to their side against York.
Hull FC forward Yusuf Aydin.(Image: SW PIX)
Yusuf Aydin will return to the Hull FC side against York Knights this Thursday night. The prop forward has served his six-match suspension and is now ready to take his place once again.
Receiving a red card for a dangerous tip tackle on Bradford Bulls full-back Caleb Aekins back in May, Aydin has been in the background since, training hard in a bid to hit form again when he returns.
And Last is backing the player to do just that. Speaking pre-match, the interim head coach joked: “I want him to get Man of the Match. I want him to put six weeks of not being able to play into his performance on Thursday night but be disciplined.
“I think it’s really important because Yusuf is a player who contributes a lot to our team. His effort areas are exceptional. He’s a kick-pressure man; he’s a line-speed man as well and he has got a big engine.
“Those six games have been really, really long for us as a club and as a team and it’s hurt us, and I know Yusuf has been hurting because he’s had to miss some key games and he knows the importance of him for our team. We’re really, really happy to have Yusuf back.”
Aydin has not missed a minute of training during his ban, lining up against Hull in contact games and helping to prepare the team.
“He’s looking in great shape,” Last added. “He’s not missed a beat from a training point of view. And I’m hoping he repays us with a really strong performance. He’s ready to go.
“He’s a great kid. He trains exceptionally hard and is a good pro; he’s robust, and the modern-day game suits Yusuf because it is very quick and Yusuf is someone who gets around the pitch well.
“He is fit and we have missed what he brings to our team in terms of his line speed and his hump and his efforts. And that’s something that I’m looking forward to having back in the team this Thursday night.”