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As Sunderland and Sheffield United prepare to lock horns at Wembley, EFL stalwart Curtis Davies has revealed the exact moment he knew Hull City would beat Sheffield Wednesday in the 2016 Championship play-off final.
On Saturday, the Championship play-off final is worth a reported £240 million to one of Sheffield United or Sunderland as both sides aim to win promotion to the Premier League.
United arrive at the showpiece occasion following a 6-0 aggregate victory over Bristol City, while Dan Ballard’s 122nd-minute winner was all that separated the Black Cats and Coventry City in the other play-off semi-final.
Sunderland enter the contest at Wembley as underdogs, having overachieved in Regis Le Bris’ first season in charge, while Chris Wilder has the pressure on his shoulders of guiding the Blades back into the top-flight.
For someone who won a play-off final with Hull City, Curtis Davies has revealed the exact moment his side knew they would overcome Sheffield Wednesday.
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Curtis Davies always knew Hull City would beat Sheffield Wednesday in 2016 play-off final
The play-offs have served up some dramatic moments over the years, none more so in the 2016 play-off final between Hull and Sheffield Wednesday.
The Tigers entered the contest with all the pressure on them, having dropped out of the Premier League in the season before, while the Owls were seen as underdogs after finishing sixth in the Championship.
Luckily for Hull, a wonder strike from Mohamed Diame sealed their return to the top-flight under Steve Bruce and former captain Davies always knew his side would get the job done at Wembley.
Speaking on the Second Tier Podcast about the feeling ahead of a play-off final, Davies said: “We got in the changing room, we got the game done, we won the game, and we went home cause we just knew we had to get back up.
“Whereas Sheffield Wednesday turned up, they were there in their nice suits, which isn’t a problem. It’s a Wembley game, it’s a big occasion, sunglasses on, taking selfies on the pitch.
“I went in the changing room, I said ‘lads, we’ve got this, they’re here for the day out, we’re here to win, and that was kind of a big motivation in what I said.
“As players, if it went the other way, I might have been wrong, of course, but you kind of sense certain things where the underdog is sometimes happier to be there.
“Whereas as a team that had just been relegated, we knew we had to go and win. Fortunately for us, we had Mo Diame for that wonder strike against Sheffield Wednesday.”
Sunderland will be the underdogs at Wembley
In the normal season, Sheffield United ran Burnley and Leeds United close for an automatic promotion finish, only dropping off in the final five matches.
The Blades finished on a whopping 90 points, yet still ended the campaign in third, with Sunderland 14 points adrift of their Wembley opponents.
Just like Sheffield Wednesday were nine years ago, Le Bris’ men are the underdogs on Saturday, but that won’t worry them.
Sunderland will play on the counter-attack, something that worked a treat against Coventry City, with a similar game plan likely to be deployed this weekend.
Whatever happens, it promises to be a nerve-shredding afternoon for both sets of supporters, as the two teams collide in the most lucrative match in English football.