Marney aiming to ‘do a Hull’

Marney - signed from Spurs by Phil Parkinson in 2006 - helped the Tigers reach the top flight for the first time in their history back in 2008.

He played for two seasons in the Premier League before City were relegated, with Burnley, in 2010.

He was snapped up by Brian Laws that summer after 125 appearances for the Tigers, and, after four seasons with Burnley, can again look forward to a return to the promised land after winning finishing as Championship runners-up.

Hull themselves made the return last summer, after also finishing second in the Championship, and - backed by controversial owner Assem Allam, who helped bring in the likes of Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore, Nikica Jelavić and Shane Long - not only survived, finishing 16th, fourth points off the drop zone, they also qualifying for Europe after reaching the FA Cup Final.

Marney is looking forward to testing himself among the elite again, and he said: “I know a few people at Hull still, and they’ve spent a lot of money, but hopefully we can do as well as they have.

“Obviously it’s been a great season, but it’s all done now so we’ll look forward to next season.

“We go up another level so it’s obviously going to be a lot tougher, and I’ll do the same again, work as hard as I can and see what happens.”

Hard work is a prerequisite with Marney, who was described as a Rolls-Royce by manager Sean Dyche, who later upgraded him - as Dyche said: “He came in the first day of pre-season looking like a Rolls-Royce and never looked back. Maybe he’s turned into a Bentley Continental.”

Marney was relentless in his performances, and he said: “Last summer, I worked harder than I ever have done coming into pre-season, I came back in as good shape as I possibly could, and the gaffer’s pre-season was tough, which made me fitter, and I’ve maybe had more freedom, and the gaffer gave me more confidence. I owe a lot to him, and I was happy with how it went.

“I take that (Bentley Continental) as a compliment.”

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