Hull City v Bristol City: Liam Rosenior on the key transformation in 'one of a kind' striker Aaron Connolly - and it's not his recent goals or new hair-style

The Irishman has adopted a new-look this season, perhaps in a bid for a change of fortune on the pitch. Listen to his manager and the main transformation in regards to the Irishman is nothing to do with his appearance and not necessarily his flying start to the season either.

As pleased as Rosenior has been by Connolly's tidy haul of three goals from the bench in the club's back-to-back victories over Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday - including a brilliant double at Ewood Park last weekend - he is just as happy about something else.

On Connolly, who he has known and worked with from his days at Brighton, Rosenior, whose side are seeking their third successive win at home to Bristol City this evening, said: "The great thing is that probably two or three years ago, he'd have been knocking on my door saying 'I should be starting'.

"The maturity about him now - and not just him, but the team - has been great.

"He's been brilliant with Liam (Delap) and helping him in terms of his movement and understanding of the game and he's more of a leader in there.

"Aaron has got a group of players that enjoy having him around and wanted to have him around. He's in the right place and hopefully he continues this form."

The way Connolly burst into the scene as a teenager at Brighton marked him out as one of the most exciting young forwards in the top-flight. There is an argument to say that the plaudits arrived too soon.

In recent seasons the frontman, now 23, has lost his way, it’s fair to say.

A loan spell at Middlesbrough in 2021-22 was little to write home about and injury disrupted his temporary stint at Hull last season.

Rosenior was clearly of the view that while form is temporary, class is permanent - in offering him a chance to shine in East Yorkshire and redemption.

The City chief continued: "Aaron is one of a kind as a character and I love him for that.

"Sometimes, you need to give him a kick up the backside and sometimes, you need to put your arm around him.

"The key is working out when those times are. Sometimes, you need to leave him alone.

"I am really fortunate with Aaron as I've known him. I have got a head-start on him and I have known him since he was 15. So I have known him as a young academy player and then to break onto the scene at Premier League level and play for a great club in Brighton. I have seen his progression.

"But knowing someone as a 15-year-old gives you a really good understanding of them as the real person that they are and not the things you hear about. What he needs to do is keep working.

"He is not fully fit yet. That's the truth of it. The great thing for us is that he's making an unbelievable impact for us as a substitute for 30 minutes.

"But what I want to do is build him up, so he can do that for 90 minutes. He's not quite there yet."

Rosenior lock horns against an important figure in his playing career tonight in the shape of former Hull manager Nigel Pearson, who celebrated his 60th birthday this week.

The Hull boss is understandably keen to ensure that his Robins rival is not afforded a belated present to put gloss on his milestone by way of three points, but his debt of gratitude to Pearson is considerable.

It draws paralels with his own decision to hand Connolly a permanent contract this summer - when he was in need of a fillip after a tough time in his career.

"It's how you come back from it (setbacks),” he continued.

"I came to Hull after being released and didn't have a club and it was Nigel who took me in the November when no-one else would take me and two years later, I am captaining the club in Europe.

"These things happen in football, it's how you bounce back."

On renewing acquaintances with Pearson out east, he added: "He is a top man, who has had a great career as a player.

"He was my coach at England under-21s, a long time ago now. We got on really, really well then and he brought me to this club, which I am really thankful for.

"He has had an unbelievable career and when you saw Leicester winning the Premier League title, the work he did there before they won was absolutely tremendous.

"And then I see a Bristol City team right in his image who work really hard with quality throughout the pitch. Everything they do is based on honesty and that's Nigel as a man. He is an honest, straight-down-the-line guy and someone I massively respect."

Ruben Vinagre and Allahyar Sayyadmanesh are available for the Tigers this evening.