Hull City owner Acun Ilicali on the two Premier League clubs who inspire Tigers - after goal 'which changed our lives'

The Tigers returned to the top-flight after a nine-year absence following Saturday's last-gasp Championship play-off final success over White Rose rivals Middlesbrough at Wembley.

In the process, the East Yorkshire outfit became the first side since Blackpool in 2009-10 to achieve promotion after finishing in the final play-off position.

The win, City's third successive single-goal victory in a play-off showpiece at second-tier level following previous successful campaigns in 2008 and 2016, is worth an estimated £205million to the club.

For the Turkish media mogul, it is a personal triumph. He purchased the club in January 2022 and spoke then about his dreams of taking it back into the big time.

Promotion has been made all the more remarkable given that Hull found themselves under a transfer embargo last summer, limiting them to free transfers.

Looking forward to August, Ilicali said: "Brentford gives me hope and Brighton gives me hope. These are special clubs as you know. Is it manageable?. Yes.

"But the first year is very critical. If we can pass the first year, then we will stay alive. But in the first year, you have the least budget and it is not easy, I know that.

"We believed it (promotion). For me, Hull is my second home and the love that the fans have shown to me, what can I say. They have never left me feeling down - always up, up, up.

"Last summer, they were still motivating me. I was so motivated to get to the Premier League. And I hope they are motivated again and we can go for the upper numbers."

Another dramatic episode in the play-off's rich four-decade long history arrived in the fifth minute of stoppage time, with the Tigers' talismanic striker Oli McBurnie pouncing on a mistake by Boro keeper Sol Brynn to score the only goal of the game in front of a crowd of 84,506 at Wembley.

"The goal that changed our lives" was Ilicali's ebullient take on McBurnie's golden moment.

Prior to the game all the talk centred on the City owner potentially taking legal action if his club lost their final amid the Spygate scandal.

Boro were reinstated after losing to Southampton in the semi-final - ahead of Saints being expelled from the competition.

Hailing McBurnie, the club's player and head coach Sergej Jakirovic, promoted after a magnificent first season in English football, Ilicali added: "The goal that changed our lives. This was the moment.

"I always said to the supporters that this is a game of moments, but don't worry, they (Boro) didn't have McBurnie, we had McBurnie. He said to me: 'I told boss, I told you.'

"All the players are our heroes and the manager is our hero. He is the one.

"Some fans were not very happy when he came, that he has no experience of the Championship... But are there experienced managers who take clubs up all the time? No. The first rule is to be a good manager."