Liam Rosenior: Hull City boss says return to the club as head coach gave him goosebumps

Liam Rosenior watched Hull City's defeat by Middlesbrough on Tuesday with owner Acun Ilicali prior to his appointment

Newly-appointed Hull City head coach Liam Rosenior said his return to the club gave him goosebumps.

The 38-year-old spent five seasons with the Tigers as a player and signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to replace Shota Arveladze on Thursday.

Rosenior started the season in interim charge of League One side Derby County but left the Rams in September.

"It's well documented about my passion to become a manager. I had a feeling I would be back," he said.

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside he added: "I've got goosebumps talking about it."

Rosenior made 144 league appearances for the Tigers between 2010 and 2015 and won promotion to the Premier League in 2013 before reaching the FA Cup final the following year.

He takes charge with the club one point and one place above the Championship relegation zone. He has family ties to the city through his grandmother, who was a Hull City season ticket holder.

"My family is so pleased [the fans] sing the song 'his nan is from Hull'. It's a really nice feeling because it's a year ago this month that she passed away," he added.

"I was in Cottingham Cemetery just five minutes from here and she was in the crematorium with a Hull shirt so that's what it means to my family.

"That gives me so much pride and motivation to do her proud in terms of where this club can go. I'm fully motivated and excited to get going.

"I told my mum and she started crying. I think my nan would be really tearful and hopefully she's up there smiling down because I know it was a big dream of hers to see me in that dugout and hopefully I can do her proud."

'We know everything about you'

The Tigers picked up 11 points in their first six games of the season under Arveladze but result tailed off.

Owner Acun Ilicali sacked the former Rangers forward hours before a home match against Luton after a subsequent run of four successive defeats.

The club held talks with former Olympiakos boss Pedro Martins in October, but they were unable to reach an agreement and turned to Rosenior having done their research.

"They made it clear what they were looking for and I could show that, it wasn't just words, it was a natural conversation," Rosenior continued.

"Not just the job but how you get on as people. [Vice chairman Tan Kesler] said a funny comment yesterday about getting to know me, he said 'I've not done an x-ray on you, I've done an MRI on you, I know everything about you'.

"That's a great thing because then you're open with each other and I'm looking forward to working with them and the players as well."