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Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic is confident that one Tigers player will be able to turn his career around after showing plenty of promise during pre-season.
Hull City have undergone a successful pre-season under new boss Sergej Jakirovic, in spite of the financial issues that have hindered the club this summer.
Acun Ilicali oversaw a fee restriction placed on Hull City, which has significantly affected their recruitment process – especially regarding the necessity of signing a striker ahead of the 2025/26 Championship season.
As a result, Hull City have managed to snap up a selection of loans and free transfers, but Jakirovic has predominantly had to utilise the current squad.
The Tigers significantly underperformed last season, with very few players covering themselves in glory. However, there is one player who Jakirovic believes gives Hull City a ‘very big advantage’, despite being made surplus to requirements during the 2024/25 campaign.
Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic praises Ryan Giles for pre-season improvement
Hull City have enjoyed success in pre-season so far, with Sergej Jakirovic successfully implementing his tactics into the squad.
One player who looks set to play a key role in Jakirovic’s system is Ryan Giles, in spite of his difficult 2024/25 season.
Giles played an important role under Tim Walter, but with very little success before he was moved on loan to Middlesbrough for the remainder of the campaign, where his bad fortunes unfortunately continued.
Fortunately, the Hull City full-back has been reborn under Jakirovic so far, and it looks as though he has regained his first-team spot with the Tigers.
Speaking to Hull Daily Mail, Jakirovic said: “I’m convinced (he can be a big player) of that because I already spoke with him. I think the problem is nobody believed in him one hundred percent.
“You cannot believe in a player for one or two games and then if he’s not good, you can go somewhere else. Somebody invested in him, somebody paid very good money for him, so we need to help him to support him.
“He must give one hundred percent in every training session and in every game, but he’s obviously a very fast player. He can repeat (his runs) all day. Maybe he has some difficulties in the defence, but you can train (improve in training) this. We are here to help him.
“He’s a very fast player, he’s got a very good shot and can cross the ball very well, and I think it’s a very big advantage for us.”
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Ryan Giles needs support to maintain pre-season run
Ryan Giles has performed very well during pre-season, and that has been recognised by Sergej Jakirovic. Whilst on the surface it is common to see a manager delivering praise to a player, it will mean far more in Giles’ situation – someone who was starved of confidence last season.
Jakirovic knows that Giles needs and deserves praise and support to hopefully continue thriving, and that needs to be delivered from the supporters as well.
The Hull City full-back has shown plenty of promise in his career, particularly at Championship level, and there is no doubt potential that he can turn things around in East Yorkshire.