Oli McBurnie’s 95th-minute winner sealed a 1-0 victory for Hull over Middlesbrough in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley; the Tigers sealed a return to the Premier League after nine seasons away.
Oli McBurnie claimed that Middlesbrough having the majority of the ball during the Championship play-off final was perfect for Hull City’s game plan and that he always believed that he’d get a chance in the game.
Hull’s Oli McBurnie said it was “written for me” to score the winner in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final that sent the Tigers back to the Premier League.
The striker struck in the 95th minute at Wembley to earn Sergej Jakirovic’s side a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough and send them back to the top flight after nine years away.
For the first time ever, I think I’m speechless!.”
“It’s been a long, hard season and that game today summed us up. We knew we weren’t going to come in and have all of the ball – I don’t think we’ve won a game this year when we’ve had more of the ball than the opposition!
“It was tough out there with the heat and Middlesbrough are a top, top team. We knew we were going to be right up against it, but we felt we’d have one chance and it was written for me to get it.
“I didn’t think it would be so late on, but what a feeling.
“When I first got my move to Sheffield United, it was what they expected of me and I probably wasn’t really ready to be that person.
Oli McBurnie scored the 95th-minute winner for Hull at Wembley
“As I’ve grown and got older and more mature, I think I’ve grown into that role and I enjoy that. I was looking forward to this game so much I couldn’t sleep last night!”
McBurnie, 29, joined Hull from La Liga side Las Palmas last summer and scored 19 goals in all competitions, including the aforementioned winner.
“When I came back from Las Palmas, I knew some of the lads in the dressing room, whether I’d played with them or against them. It wasn’t all about the ability that they had but also the character they had.
McBurnie scored a late winner for Hull City
“I knew I was going into a dressing room with winners. If you surround yourself with enough winners, you are going to win.
“When things get tough, you look around and you have 10 other men who you really want to go to war with and fight with. That’s what it was out there today. At times, I was knackered but the lads were giving me that extra little bit.
“There are games this season where people will be wondering how we’ve won a game, a bit like today, but it is down to the character of the boys in the dressing room. I can’t speak highly enough of them.”
Jakirovic: If Wilder was Sheff Utd manager last summer, McBurnie wouldn’t be here
Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic in his post-match press conference:
“We signed Oli McBurnie three days before the season. I spoke with him in June, waiting for him for three months.
“Very lucky he came here as Chris Wilder is his football father.
“Big experience of the Championship – he handles pressure, easy. He is ready for these types of games.
“If Wilder was Sheffield United was head coach [last summer] then Oli would be a Sheffield United player, 100 per cent.”
