Matt Crooks says Hull City's pre-season key to getting back to play-off ambitions next season

The Tigers only avoided relegation on goal difference, but January signing Crooks feels they can be pushing again for the play-offs if they can get key players fit again.

Hull were seventh in 2023-24, and a top-six finish is the return chairman/owner Acun Ilicali has sought on his considerable investment. Bad decisions, from sacking coach Liam Rosenior last May to the appointment of Tim Walter via poor recruitment contributed to the relegation fight, as did some bad injuries.

Liam Millar, Mohamed Belloumi and Eliot Matazo suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries after just 20 Hull starts combined.

Ilicali is reviewing the season to decide whether to keep December appointment Ruben Selles as coach, but the feeling in the camp is that despite a season Crooks calls "not good enough", there are foundations for a much better 2025-26.

"I knew when I came into this situation in January it wasn't going to be easy," reflected former Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United and Middlesbrough midfielder Crooks.

"This season hasn't been good enough but we can start with a clean slate in pre-season and it's a real opportunity for us to kick on.

"When I came into the club most people I spoke to within the club were really ambitious. We want to be competing at the right end of the Championship next season."

And Crooks thinks that should be quite achievable.

"We need to get Millar back," he said. "He's been telling me all these good things he's been doing.

“He's the Canadian Messi by all accounts so I think when Liam comes back we'll be fine!

"But seriously, there's a good squad in there. We don't want a repeat of this season.

"A good pre-season is key, get the lads playing together.

"When we come together in pre-season we've really got to get to it straight away."

Hull were too slow to make signings last summer, with only four of 15 eventual additions signed when the Championship kicked off, despite 14 departures.

Hull would like to bring back Joe Gelhardt, signed on loan from Leeds United in the same window as Crooks. The forward is not expected to be within their price bracket for a permanent deal, but they will hope the way Gelhardt settled in East Yorkshire persuades him and his now-Premier League club to consider another loan.

A decision on midfielder Oscar Zambrano should be quicker, with parent club, LDU Quito, revealing Hull have until mid-June to make his loan permanent.

Hull took the Ecuadorian in the summer knowing he faced a potential ban for a doping offence. That came to pass in November, before Selles' arrival. Reduced on appeal, the ban expires this November.

"Hull City has the option to acquire Oscar Zambrano until mid-June; the ball is in their court," said Quito's sporting director Eduardo Alvarez. “If the purchase option isn't granted, the player will return to the club.”