Days after his ability was showcased to a wider audience, Hull City sporting director Jared Dublin is comfortable with Sergej Jakirovic entering the last year of his contract.

Even so, he is always casting an eye out for potential replacements for the Championship play-off final-winning coach.

Frank Lampard was Championship manager of the year for brilliantly leading Coventry City to the title. But Jakirovic did a better job still, taking over Hull 11 months after they escaped relegation on goal difference and shortly before they were banned from buying or paying loan fees for players in 2025-26.

This summer brings more managerial vacancies than most, even before a World Cup which will see coaches reach a natural end.

But Jakirovic cuts a happy figure in East Yorkshire, and Hull have a comfort blanket in his contract.

"We have an option to protect ourselves (by extending his contract until 2028)," stressed Dublin. "If we trigger that or not, we'll see.

"Sergej's been fantastic and we've become very close over the course of the season, our families and all that.

"He's been great around the place and a breath of fresh air. He's given players a new lease of life.

WINNER: Hull City coach Sergej Jakirovic (centre right) with the Championship play-off trophy as Hull City paraded it around the city (Image: Bruce Rollinson/PA Wire)

placeholder image — WINNER: Hull City coach Sergej Jakirovic (centre right) with the Championship play-off trophy as Hull City paraded it around the city (Image: Bruce Rollinson/PA Wire)

"Ryan Giles was out on loan multiple times under previous gaffers and now he's the main man at left-back and he's done great under the gaffer

"Credit to him, credit to his staff who've come in from a different country, from different footballing experiences and taken some time to adapt to the Championship, but they've shown their level.

"He's far exceeded expectations in terms of a top-10 finish, which we said publicly (was the aim)."

To have only handed a coach new to English football a two-year contract was sensible given there are only 28 managers in the English league who have been in a job longer. That will reduce to 27 after Oliver Glasner has led Crystal Palace in Wednesday's Conference League final, and 26 if former Tigers coach Marco Silva does not renew his Fulham contract beyond the end of next month.

PLANNING: Hull City sporting director Jared Dublin always has to be ready for a change of coach (Image courtesy of Hull City)

But Hull have the ability to extend Jakirovic’s deal by a further 12 months.

"It puts us at ease," said Dublin.

"Both parties have to want to say yes for us to continue together, it can't be, 'I don't want to be here, I want to go, I want to go back to Croatia.'

"But the gaffer's happy and we speak every day.

"He's happy being here. He's happy working with this group of players, this set of staff.

"I can't speak for him, but at the end of the day, we've had a fantastic start to this relationship and we have been very clear, the owner and myself, that we want to continue far beyond this season."

That said, Dublin admits he always has to be ready in case Jakirovic does leave.

"You always have to be ready to replace players, staff, who come and go," he commented. "That's just part of the job.

"It's not personal in that sense, just as I'm sure the ownership looks at replacements for me. It's the same thing.

"It's 100 per cent not personal.

"Everything's about just doing the job to the best of your ability. If something were to happen, if Real Madrid came for Sergej Jakirovic, I would wish him all the best - go have a fantastic time at the, for me, the best club in the world, outside of Hull City.

"We have to be prepared for that eventuality, and that's part of the job.

"If the owner rings me and we're not prepared, that's my fault.

"That's the nature of the beast in the sense of unless you're Real Madrid or PSG, typically everyone's a selling club."