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" I remember the fantastic season that we did have and obviously the lads went on last season getting to the semi-finals of the play-offs. So obviously I have come here and I want to try to emulate something like that and I'm looking forward to it and relishing the challenge. It was great to see all the new faces and obviously all the old faces as well. I made a lot of friends up here when I was over here and I know how much it means to the fans. It's a great family club and I'm just delighted to be back here and try to give something back again.
" Training was interesting, coming into the dressing-room I was a little bit nervous thinking what the lads were going to do. They didn't give me any tricks or anything, there were no pranks going on, we had a great day of training, Greg (Abbott) put on a good hard session. Obviously we have got the game tomorrow against Preston, so we limited it down to an hour and a half. It was a great session and great to get involved with the boys again.
" I knew instantly when I was driving up the motorway when I was coming that it was the right thing. There were a few other teams had shown interest and put it towards Hull City, obviously I wasn't allowed to talk to them because I was under contract with Hull. When I heard out that they were trying to do the deal though I put it to them and said that there was only one place I want to go.
" Then I walk in the dressing-room and it just felt good again, a nice relaxed atmosphere. The gaffer (John Ward) and obviously John Nixon and everybody made me feel so welcome, everybody was smiling on their faces and it's great to be back. "
" It was very disheartening to be sitting on the bench all the time at Hull, looking back I think that I definitely made the wrong decision. I went down there under a manager, Phil Parkinson, and I played every game, unfortunately the guy got the sack after three months in charge and a new manager (Phil Brown) comes in with new ideas, and it didn't plan out the way I would have liked it too.
" That's football, you get on with it, but I am at the stage, I'd done enough sitting on the bench, there are only so many splinters you get in your backside. I just want to play football and that is a major factor of coming back here to play.
" Australia was a great experience for the lifestyle, the sunshine, a different outdoor lifestyle, the barbecues, the kids and the family loved it over there. The football standard though, obviously the league is just picking up. It's similar to the MLS, it's just picking up, I don't think that it is as far ahead as the MLS, even though we did actually beat the LA Galaxy 5-2 over there in a game, which was interesting. I got offered to go back out there but I'm a footballing person, I want to play at a good standard and it wasn't up there.
" Last season at Carlisle obviously was fantastic, I was watching the lads on SKY when they played Nottingham Forest and got a great result down there, that seemed to set them on a great run. It's how you bounce back, I remember when I was at Sunderland that we missed out on the play-off final to Charlton, we got beat 5-4 on penalties, the Micheal Gray famous penalty-kick. "
" Then the next season we got automatic promotion, we bounced back really well, the lads said that it was going to make us stronger. Yet again it can work the other way but it's how you approach the season, speaking to the lads they have had a great pre-season and they are relishing the challenge to better themselves. So it's all making good progress.
" We had a great captain at the time at Sunderland, it was Kevin Ball, and he got on the bus after the defeat. Straight on the bus and he said that it was a load of rubbish and next season we get automatic promotion. We went off, we had a few drinks on the way home from Wembley and you get over it. So of course the lads are strong enough and big enough to put it behind them.
" I know it is a young bunch but sometimes that is even better, when you are younger it doesn't play on your mind as much, there are other things to occupy you. Hopefully that is what they have gone and done and come back in the right frame of mind.
" The progression here has been fantastic, obviously there are a few lads down at Hull who have been in an exactly similar situation. They have gone from the second division and they have won three promotions, and they are in the Premier League now. That's like here, there are lads that have been here from the start, and the wisdom and the extremes that they will have picked up during that, hopefully they will pass that on to the other lads. "
" It's all a good blend, obviously Peter Murphy is still here with the experience, and I'm coming back. Hopefully I can, if the lads want to have a chat then I am quite happy to have a shoulder to cry on and that. Because I remember when I used to get that off the likes of Niall Quinn and the likes of David Kelly when I was a kid, hopefully I can pass some of that knowledge on.
" I was very impressed with him (Gary Madine) today in training, he showed some great touches, he's a big lad for his age mind isn't he. So in training, I pulled him over to have a little chat and I told him that he had some lovely touches and his shooting was fantastic as well. So all credit to the kid, I have heard a lot about him, it was good to actually see him.
" It's a friendly game tomorrow, I was having a chat with the gaffer and Greg earlier on. I haven't played too many, I've had two games pre-season behind closed doors but obviously I haven't played any for Hull City. Fitness-wise though, fit as a fiddle, raring to go, but I just need that match tweaking up, the matches, the games. I can't wait for tomorrow to get the boots on, and if the gaffer gives me the nod in the first-half, second-half, last minute, whatever, I'll be ready, I'm looking forward to it.
" I appreciate the goodwill, that is one of the main reasons that I came back because it is a great club and the fans showed me so much respect last time, so I'm delighted to be back. The amount of petrol money I spent today to get over here, I'll be more than welcome to join that car party again don't you worry, I'll put up with Lummy (Chris Lumsdon). "