Portsmouth v Hull City: Sean McLoughlin determined not to waste hard work as Championship relegation threat looms

The message runs deeper for Sean McLoughlin. He was only a bit-part player in 2020-21, playing most of his games in the cups, but it still allowed him to see and feel what hard work it was for the Tigers to get out of League One that season. Lewie Coyle, Alfie Jones and Regan Slater – out injured – are still team-mates.

The soulless graft of that behind-closed-doors campaign, this season's dramatic late win at Hillsborough, the comprehensive victory across the city at Bramall Lane, the comeback at home to Oxford United, winning at the previously impregnable Stadium of Light, Tim Walter’s cruelly deceptive three-game winning streak – all could be laid to waste at Portsmouth on Saturday.

Lose at Fratton Park, and McLoughlin and co will be back in the third tier. Win and they will live to fight another day in the second tier. Draw, and it gets complicated.

"We can't take it for granted," says McLoughlin. "Everybody's had their own experiences and they know how important it is for a city, a club, to stay in the division.

"There's no fear that we know how important it is.

"We had a clip playing on the TV in the canteen with a few memories throughout the season, a few goals, and we kind of just said to each other let's just make sure we get the rewards at the end of it so all those games aren't for nothing.

"All the ups and downs throughout the season, let's just use those experiences to go and get our reward on Saturday."

Knowing how important the game is can be something of a mixed blessing. Nothing riles a supporter more than thinking their players are blase about relegations that will eat them up for months, but a fear of failure can be paralysing.

"Coming over from Ireland, it was my first club in England and I've been here ever since," says McLoughlin. "I've been through a lot of milestones. Living in Hull I've met a lot of friends for life and I definitely do feel a special connection to the fans and the club.

"We know the responsibility we have to the club as players, and to the city to keep us in the division. I think it's important we all use that."

But it has been important too to reset minds after the crushing disappointment of last week's 1-0 defeat at home to Derby County. Winning that day would have spared Hull this weekend's angst. Ruben Selles gave his players an extra day off and told them to get their heads right.

"After the Derby game we wished this game was coming the next day," says McLoughlin. "The benefit is we had a few training sessions to sharpen up but we're all raring to go.

"It was just about going home and being with your family and reassessing the situation. The reality was we had two games to get a win and we're lucky we have another chance.

"Other teams in the league – Cardiff, for example – don't have that chance on the last day to stay up.

"We're very fortunate we have that chance so we have to go and do the business on Saturday.

"It's easy to get caught up in football and the negativity if you don't have a good result.

"My wife grounds me and tells me how it is. It helps me to switch my mindset. Everybody probably had that switch of mindset after Derby because we all came in really positive for training."

Not dwelling on disappointment is something McLoughlin has had to learn.

"I think it comes with age and experience," he explains. "You probably take a lot of things to heart when you're younger but as you get older you're able to take a step back and see things from afar. That definitely helps. It's an important skill to have in this industry."

Now 28, McLoughlin feels a responsibility to pass on his experience.

"The last few seasons we've had some success and the lads who have been here for four or five years – I've been here for six – it's important for us to use our experience with the younger lads in the group," he says.

"The staff are doing the exact same. Everyone's on the same page and knows what needs to be done."

Now they just have to do it to add one more game to those highlights.

A Hull win imperils Stoke City and their hosts Derby County, Preston North End, who are at play-off-chasing Bristol City, and Luton Town, who visit West Bromwich Albion. A draw would keep Hull up if the Hatters, Preston and Derby (comprehensively) lose.

All games kick off at 12.30pm.