Coventry City v Hull City: 'You have to kill people on your way,' says Tigers' new mentality monster

The strategy behind the Tigers' recruitment is glaringly obvious. Early on they targeted Thomas Meunier as an old head who might do for them what Granit Xhaka did for Sunderland, only for the full-back to head for the Stadium of Light too. They say they want to add more Premier League experience before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

The average age of the first dozen signings made this summer – there are still perhaps three to come – is 24.

All are clearly talented, with high sell-on potential, but apart from 30-somethings Matt Targett and Jack Butland, only the returning Joe Gelhardt and Oscar Zambrano had played first-team football in England before this season started.

The rest fall firmly into the "Can they do it on a Tuesday night in Stoke" category?

On his debut in the Potteries this week, midfielder Lucas Gourna showed he can. Now he wants the chance to follow it up at Coventry City on Saturday.

Of all the words the Frenchman used in his fluent English, none landed more happily than the one offered up when asked what he had learnt from his old France Under-21 coach Theirry Henry.

"Mentality," he replies.

Gourna is tough and a leader. At 23 he has played league football in France, Austria and Italy, and has worn the captain's armband throughout the age groups at international level.

"You have to kill people on your way," he expands. "You have to take care of yourself. You have to be ready every day. You have to work, work, work every day.

"If you come in my way, I will show you that I'm more hungry than you."

Hull's squad has been built in such a way that every player will need that mindset to get a game. Gourna was overlooked for Regan Slater and Matt Crooks in the 2-0 win over Manchester United last week.

Jens Hjerto-Dahl debuted alongside Gourna in Stoke, and Hidemasa Morita came off the bench. All five will want to be one of the two deep midfielders – with coach Sergej Jakirovic's tactical flexibility, it could always be three – at Coventry.

"I know him from before, we played Champions League," says Gourna of Morita. "I know him from Sporting.

"He's a really experienced guy so I have to take some (video) clips of him. I'm just 23 years-old. I have to keep improving and take those kind of guys as an example."

Henry was only reinforcing Gourna's upbringing.

"I think it's my biggest strength," says the midfielder. "I think the education I got from my mum and my big brother helped me a lot to have that kind of mentality.

"I want to be one of the leaders of this team – step by step, I know we have captains. I'm still 23 years-old, so I have to learn a lot.

"I'm still learning a lot every day with the lads."

That capacity for learning is important. Unlike some of the new signings, Gourna speaks excellent English, something Jakirovic is conscious of when introducing them.

"I can understand everything on the pitch," he says, with a smile.

"I can be in front of you guys (the media) and speak your language.

"I think it's about the respect. When you go to live in a country, you have to at least learn the language.

"I speak three or four languages, and now I keep improving my Spanish.

"It's really important because you never know in football, even in life – maybe you will meet someone in the restaurant who speaks Spanish and he will help you in your life."

And now he is learning about English football too.

"I was aware about everything, about English leagues, about the city, about the clubs, about the way they're working, and I have a lot of friends who play in Premier League, so we are in touch," he says.

Well, almost everything. One thing has taken him by surprise, and given the angst about developing it at Hull, it may come as a shock to some.

"The training ground," he says, "because the pitch is really incredible, really crazy. In France the infrastructure, the facilities, they are really, really nice, but the pitch (headquarters Clairefontaine apart) is not so good."

Then there was the baptism of fire at Stoke, as crashing a crash course to English football as they come.

"It's really, really physical, to be honest," says Gourna. "I didn't expect that, but what I've seen on Tuesday, I can say that, yeah, you have to be ready to play in England."

Gourna sounds like he is.