Hull City’s Player of the Year candidates as Tigers eye historic conclusion

Who gets your vote to join the pantheon of previous winners?

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Hull City’s season remains alive, despite their desperately disappointing 2-1 defeat at Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which delivered a hammer blow to their play-off hopes.

A run of six games without a victory has come at the worst possible time for the Tigers, with them failing to claim a win that would have given them a huge chance of ensuring they finished in the play-offs.

Despite a poor end to the campaign, City had been one of the surprise packages in the Championship this season, with some stand-out performances from a host of players.

In a week where City’s play-off fate will ultimately be decided on the final day of the campaign against Norwich City, it’s also that time of year when accolades are given out.

Here, Hull Live looks at the potential candidates to collect the crown that Ivor Pandur claimed 12 months ago. We’ve included all players who have started at least 15 Championship games this season, which rules out players like Mo Belloumi, given his start at Leicester City in midweek was only his ninth of the campaign.

The candidates

Ivor Pandur

The Croatian goalkeeper has missed only one game this season, and that was the Good Friday trip to Oxford United when Dillon Phillips was handed a first league start. Pandur has kept 11 clean sheets this term (before Charlton), and has largely enjoyed a really good season.

Yes, there have been one or two high-profile errors, which is not unexpected for a goalkeeper playing in every game, but it’s been a relatively solid campaign for the stopper, who could yet end his season playing for his country at the World Cup.

John Egan

Despite starting the season behind Semi Ajayi and Charlie Hughes in the pecking order, Egan has been one of the stand-out performers for the Tigers this season, and looked to have got his side back in the side at Charlton on Saturday, but it wasn’t to be.

Consistently impressive and dependable, the experienced defender has seen his Republic of Ireland career reignited after a lengthy period away, which nicely sums up how well he’s played across his 38 league outings.

Semi Ajayi

When he’s been available, the Nigerian defender has shown what a class act he is at this level. Two hamstring injuries coupled with a run to the latter stages of the Africa Cup of Nations has meant Ajayi hasn’t played as much as he would have liked for City.

Undoubtedly, a very good defender at this level, Ajayi has largely enjoyed a good season in the 18 starts he’s made since arriving on a free transfer from West Brom last summer. On his day, he’s a solid performer, but there have been moments, as we saw on Saturday, when he’s been caught.

Charlie Hughes

There was no shortage of transfer chatter early in the campaign when Coventry City pushed hard to sign the talented youngster. He’s had his rocky moments throughout the campaign, as you’d expect from a young player learning his craft in the heart of the defence, but he’s impressed again. It might not have been the end to the season Hughes wanted, finding himself out of the team and carrying an injury, however, earlier in the season, he showed exactly why he’s so highly-rated.

Lewie Coyle

Another mainstay of the campaign, barring a couple of injury lay-offs, especially the one he picked up in pre-season, Coyle has enjoyed a solid campaign. A player that often divides the fanbase, the skipper has again been one of Jakirovic’s key performers, whether that be at right-back, or filling on the left since Christmas with the various injury issues for Ryan Giles, Akin Famewo and Matty Jacob.

Ryan Giles

The left-back was a player reborn in the first half of the season, arguably playing some of the best football in his career, clocking up a host of assists mainly for Oli McBurnie.

Since suffering a hamstring injury at former club Middlesbrough after Christmas, Giles’ campaign has turned into a frustrating one. He picked up another hamstring injury against Derby County in February and has only just returned. Those two injuries robbed City of a flying Giles, which was a real shame.

Cody Drameh

Started the season brightly before injury hit and things tailed off, amid talk of a move away in January. After a meeting with the manager in January, Drameh came back reinvigorated and took his chance when recalled to the side. In keeping with the theme of the season, he picked up another injury, which ended his campaign. And that was a real shame, because he was in really good form.

John Lundstram

It’s been a stop-start season for the midfield general. A bright start to his City career was cut short when he picked up an injury against Sheffield United in September, and he played only 10 minutes again before coming back at Southampton in January. Since then, he’s struggled to find his form and was sent off at Bramall Lane earlier this month. Will still hope he can play his part in the final moments.

Matt Crooks

One of Jakirovic’s key men all season, but one hampered again by injury. He’s been playing with a torn muscle in his shoulder since the win over Leicester in October, and then picked up a hamstring issue in the New Year. He also has the crown of being City’s most booked player. No doubt, when he’s available, Crooks has enjoyed a very good campaign.

Regan Slater

The midfielder started the season as the fifth choice in the middle of the park, based on what Jakirovic said, but Slater quickly became his go-to man in the centre of the park. It’s been a terrific season for Slater, and he’d been a firm fixture in the starting XI until he picked up an ankle injury recently, though he made his return at Leicester. Surely one of the leading contenders.

Liam Millar

His first season back since recovering from ACL surgery which ended his campaign last term, it’s been a really good comeback campaign for the Canadian, who will expect to play a big part for Canada in this summer’s World Cup. Naturally, there have been ups and downs this term, not least an untimely hamstring injury, but Millar has shown glimpses of why he can be so effective in the Championship.

Amir Hadziahmetovic

The on-loan midfielder has improved as the season has worn on, with him gradually adapting to the speed and intensity of the Championship. His calmness on the ball has been crucial, as has been his use of it. Losing him for the remaining weeks is a major blow, and you just hope he can get himself fit in time to tackle Liam Millar in Bosnia’s World Cup opener in Toronto on June 12.

Joe Gelhardt

Without any question, the best season of Gelhardt’s career. He’s enjoyed a terrific season on loan from Leeds United, though since his injury in December, the forward has struggled to reach the heights that saw him score eight goals in 10 Championship games. Gelhardt has proved what a fine talent he is.

Kyle Joseph

After arriving with an ankle injury last January and failing to score for City, Joseph is another who can reflect on a fine season at the MKM Stadium. He’s more than played his part with a flurry of goals and assists to propel the Tigers into the play-off mix. Few players work as hard or run as much as Joseph, and his work ethic does not go unnoticed.

Oli McBurnie

The Tigers’ talisman. McBurnie was the star attraction back in the summer when City finally won the race to sign him, and their hard work has more than paid off. Despite a two-month injury lay-off, McBurnie hit the 15-goal marker in the league with a thumping finish at Leicester City, which typified his season. It’s nothing short of a disgrace that he’s not even being considered for a Scotland recall. He should be in the World Cup squad for the form he’s shown this season and his leadership.

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