Ryan Giles admits the end to 2024 was a tough one for him and Hull City, but he hopes the New Year can bring some much-needed joy to everyone associated with the Tigers, starting with a win this weekend against Leeds United.
The defender was City’s first summer signing when he joined from Luton Town, but his summer was littered with uncertainty about whether or not he’d stay at the club, amid strong interest from New Year’s Day opponents Middlesbrough.
Giles admitted earlier in the season there was strong interest from Boro. He says his form had stuttered in the opening months of the campaign, having fallen out-of-favour under former boss Tim Walter, losing his place to right-back Cody Drameh.
Since Walter’s exit, the 24-year-old has become a firm fixture under new head coach Ruben Selles. It has been a positive transformation for him on a personal level, even if things as a collective have been a struggle for the team, which saw him return to the side after injury against his old club before losing in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough for me. I want to play football, that’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” Giles said as he reflects on a challenging end to 2024.
“My role before this manager came in was to be there for the other boys as best as I can and if I get the opportunity, try and take it. I’ve played a lot of games throughout my career already, and I want to keep doing that.
“When you’re not in and around the team, and you go several games without playing, developing that match-sharpness, that match-fitness can be tough.
“We’re training every day, and we’re obviously very healthy footballers, but I don’t think anything compares to your match fitness. That’s the challenge if you’re not getting in the team so much. There’s lots of factors behind that, are you doing things properly?”
The summer was another period of significant upheaval for City, who saw Liam Rosenior replaced by Walter. A flurry of influential players departed, something Giles admits has been challenging. But he believes under Selles, the Tigers are going in the right direction.
“There’s no hiding, it’s been a tough period for everyone involved in the football club, fans included,” Giles explained. “The gaffer, Jamie (Oliver-Pearce) and Toby (Loveland) have tried to implement their ideas quite quickly, and they’ve given us all a bit of a lift, trying to put an arm around us and encourage us that we’re a good squad.
“On paper, we’ve got a really good squad. We lost Fab (Carvalho) and Liam (Delap), which were big hits for us, but I still think there’s more than enough not to be anywhere near where we are right now and to be looking towards the top end of the table.
“If he can give us something different, it’s that he should want to do things more than anybody. He should want to prove a point and work harder than anybody – not only him but some others. That’s what I’m expecting.”