Bruce looking for heroes on day of destiny

The Tigers go into the final day meeting with Cardiff City knowing victory will be enough to clinch a return to the Premier League.

Draw or lose, however, in front of a sell-out crowd at the KC Stadium and Watford, who host Leeds United, can pip the Tigers to second spot.

Hull manager Bruce said: “I would rather be in our position than Watford’s. If we match or better their result, we are up. It doesn’t matter what they do.

“These are the games we all want to be involved in. We are all in it for that little bit of history. You remember the big games no matter how old you get, even when you are retired and you have got your slippers on.

“Which one of the players is going to be the hero? Which one is going to put themselves alongside the legends of this club?

“No (Hull) team before us in 100-odd years has won automatic promotion to the top flight so it would be a great achievement.”

Today is the third time Bruce’s men have gone into a match knowing that victory will be enough to clinch promotion.

On both previous occasions, Hull flopped courtesy of a goalless draw against relegated Bristol City and a 2-0 loss at Barnsley a week ago. With Watford having won their two outings in between those Hull disappointments, just a point separates the two rivals going into the final day.

Bruce said: “Last week (at Oakwell), we had a great opportunity, but we didn’t perform on the day. It is as simple as that. Now, we have to erase it from our minds and respond.

“If you look at the Championship, it has produced shocks from start to finish and we need to produce a performance at home in front of a full house.

“The reason we are in this position is that we have shown resilience to bounce back from poor performances. Last week was one of those, but we have got a good opportunity again and I am quietly confident we can do it.”

A prize of more than £100m, the sum a promoted team will be guaranteed even if relegated from the Premier League after one season, is at stake today, but Bruce insists the true incentive for his players lies elsewhere.

He said: “The one thing we don’t think about is money, or you shouldn’t do anyway.

“We are in football to achieve something and get success. It would be a great achievement because no one gave us a hope in hell at the start of the season.

“It has been a remarkable season and we have to finish it off so we can have something on our CV. The owners are the ones who will be looking at the financial implications and I hope sincerely, for the chairman and his family, we can do it.”

Bruce has twice won promotion to the Premier League and also boasts eight years’ experience of managing at the top level.

He insists that any thoughts of the Tigers having to take the play-off route to promotion have not once entered his mind.

Instead, the Hull chief believes his players are ready to take that final step into the promised land by beating Cardiff.

The Tigers’ chief said: “Nothing concerns me at the moment. Okay, we have had a couple of chances to put it to bed and haven’t taken them. But we have got another one now and that is all we are focusing on.

“If we win at home, we are up. We couldn’t wish for a better opportunity. The players need a big pat on the back. We have ripped the thing to bits from the team that played last year and they are on the verge of achieving something remarkable for themselves.

“To happen so quickly – and after we have made so many changes – it would be great if we pull it off.”

With Hull having recently looked a pale shadow of the side that ripped Championship defences apart before the turn of the year, the big question ahead of today’s encounter with the Bluebirds is whether nerves will get the better of Bruce’s men.

The Hull manager said: “Everyone handles it differently. I played for a long, long time in the lower divisions with virtually no crowds. At Gillingham, we played in front of 2,000-3,000 people.

“I did that for seven or eight years so when I got to where I was suddenly playing in front of big crowds, I thought, ‘I’m going to enjoy this’.

“Sometimes that can be difficult, but I have been saying for a couple of weeks that the players need to try and embrace it. Accept the challenge for what it is and try to enjoy it.

“But the only way to enjoy a big occasion is to be a winner. Hopefully, it will be our day.”

Asked if he had passed on any advice picked up during his own playing career, Bruce replied: “I can remember playing in my first semi-final. You try and get over the nerves, but it took hold of me and I was 31 years old.

“You get caught up in the whole thing and, before you know it, you can’t put one foot in front of the other. If nerves gets a hold of you then you are in serious trouble.

“In that first semi-final, we drew but won the replay a week later. By the end, we were wondering what all the huffing and puffing was about.

“I believe our own experiences over the last couple of weeks will have helped them a little bit. But, make no mistake, there will be nerves and tension again. It will be the same for Watford, but I am not really interested in how they are preparing. It is all on us.”

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Interview with Hull defender James Chester: Page 2.