Hull City enjoy “hunting”, so being written off as Championship play-off final underdogs suits them down to the ground, says sporting director Jared Dublin.

The Tigers qualified in this season's last play-off place, but have made it through to the final, due to be at Wembley on March 23.

Even though the Tigers were the last Championship team to beat them, Southampton will be the favourites to win their way back into the Premier League, which they spent 2024-25 in. Even if they were to be thrown out of the competition for allegedly spying on Middlesbrough two days before their semi-final second leg, Boro would take on the mantel of favourites.

“It suits us,” says Dublin. “We've been underdogs from day one.

“In the summer when we had the restrictions and no transfer fees, no loan fees, no contingent fees, and everyone had us going down and I couldn't believe it.

“I was saying, we're signing Oli McBurnie and people think we're getting relegated!

“I just said, ‘I don't know what planet they're on. I'm on a different planet, for better or for worse.’

“But people have always been underestimating this group of players and this group of staff led by Sergej (Jakirovic) and I think they've enjoyed that challenge.

UPSETTING THE ODDS: Hull City won at Millwall's New Den on Monday to set up their third Championship play-off final (Image: Warren Little/Getty Images)

placeholder image — UPSETTING THE ODDS: Hull City won at Millwall's New Den on Monday to set up their third Championship play-off final (Image: Warren Little/Getty Images)

“When we had that large spell in the play-offs (from December to April) and the results waned a bit – that happens – we typically responded really well.

“I think as a collective, we enjoy hunting. I think we enjoy being that underdog.

“There's a different mentality shift when you're holding onto something and trying to protect something versus you're going to go and take something from somebody else.

“I think we went into Millwall, into the two legs, as underdogs.

CONFIDENCE Hull City's sporting director Jared Dublin (Image: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

“Alex Neil's a top, top operator and Millwall are a fantastic side but I thought people underestimated us there and we were able to deliver so I'm hoping that comes true again at Wembley.”

As for how Hull have been able to defy the odds, Dublin thinks a lot of it has to do with the environment they have created.

“It's credit to (head of recruitment) Martin Hodge and his scouts, and David Beeby, the club secretary, and all the work he did in the summer under ridiculous circumstances that aren't normal,” he said.

“And it's down to the guys who put in so many hours to create an environment and a culture and that's what I feel has been a big part of our success.”