‘It feels like a new club with the fans back on our side’: Jacob Greaves
HAPPY: City players celebrate a goal with the fans during the win over Norwich this season. Picture by Hull City
By Simon Bristow
Hull City “feels like a new club” under the ownership of Acun Ilıcalı because “all the fans are back on our side”, Vice-Captain Jacob Greaves has said.
The Hull-born defender, who recently signed a new four-year contract at the MKM Stadium, said he was delighted to be part of what felt like a “new era” since Turkish businessman Ilıcalı took over the club in January.
Speaking at an online press conference today ahead of the Championship clash at home to Coventry City on Saturday, Greaves was asked if the optimism around the club since the takeover had been an influence on him committing his future to the Tigers.
He said: “Yeah, that’s 100 per cent correct. That was my thinking in it as well - new owners, it kind of feels like a new club in terms of having all the fans back on our side, which is a massive boost for the lads. I know personally I want to play in front of full stadiums, so to get that from the fans, and from the owners in terms of getting the fans back in, is a real credit to them.”
He added: “You see the calibre of players we’ve actually brought in this season; we should be able to have a real good go at it and see where it takes us.”
‘FEELS LIKE A NEW ERA’: Vice-Captain Jacob Greaves. Picture by Hull City
The 21-year-old said speculation about his future had been “blew a little bit out of context” because he still had a year left on his contract with an option for a further year. He put pen to paper on his new deal just last week.
Greaves said: “There was talks going on in the background in terms of setting up a new deal, but I was just trying to concentrate on a new season, kind of a new era at the club, so it was kind of in the back of my head, really.
“I felt like I was just going out every Saturday and trying to do the best I could for the team, and then fortunately I got a call to say there was a contract there for me. I wanted to sign it and my agent, my family, was all happy with it and I was happy with it as well, so yeah, I signed a contract and they’ve got another four years of me.”
Greaves said it was a compliment that another club had been trying to sign him. He said: “You know that another club is bidding for you, so you know you’re kind of doing something right in terms of another club highly rates you, but I knew this club rated me highly as well and had high expectations and have a plan for me in the future.
“It was just one of them where I was just taking each game as it comes and took it in my stride, really, as a confidence boost to know there was a little bit of interest in me.”
‘PROMISING TALENT’: Attacking midfielder Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, who has joined on a season-long loan from Arsenal. Picture by Hull City
City have received a double selection boost, manager Shota Arveladze told reporters, with forwards Ryan Longman and Tyler Smith both fit again and back in contention for the visit of the Sky Blues.
Arveladze also has another option in the final third following this week’s signing of attacking midfielder Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand on loan from Premier League giants Arsenal until the end of the season.
The manager revealed he was likely to bring the 18-year-old’s influence to bear in the later stages of games. Describing the youngster, Arveladze said: “Young, very promising talent, and we are going to look forward to having his service in the last part of the game when he is good on it, and that’s the only thing I can say now.”
The Tigers suffered their first reverse of the new league season last time out in a heavy 5-2 defeat at West Brom. But their previous good form has left them handily place in sixth, with eight points from their opening five matches.
Saturday’s visitors, meanwhile, are rooted to the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship with just a solitary point, although they have only played two.