As recently as last year Hull avoided relegation to League One only on goal difference.
Fast-forward 16 months and they are now going toe to toe with the big names of the Premier League.
The turnaround can be traced back to the arrival of Jakirovic before last season.
The former Bosnia international joined a club under a transfer embargo, confining them to free transfers and loans, but still made them promotion contenders.
Jakirovic guided Hull to a play-off win against a Millwall side who finished three places and 10 points above them, before Oli McBurnie’s last-gasp winner against Middlesbrough secured top-flight football.
And Hull did not stay still in the summer.
They were the busiest Premier League side with 18 new signings for about £150m, with six of them, including £22m midfielder Tim Iroegbunam from Everton, arriving on deadline day.
“I know the core of my team. This is the Championship players,” said Jakirovic, who signed a two-year contract extension on Friday.
“We brought the players in to put some quality there.
“The big problem for me is who didn’t have a pre-season. This is a very big problem. But we will try.
“For example, on Tuesday [against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup], we will use that to give minutes, and at the end they will get a new chance.”
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