Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior returns to Hull on Friday looking to knock his former club out of the FA Cup fourth round.
Rosenior had stints as a player and manager with the Tigers and retains a strong bond with the East Yorkshire outfit.
He said: “Hull City is very special for me. My grandma was a season ticket holder. I’ve got my family going up as the club means a lot to me for many reasons.
“Hopefully we can put on a really good show. It will be amazing to go back. Without Hull – without the experience of being there as a player and as a manager – I would not be sitting here.
“I’ve got a lot to thank the club for and I had some amazing times there, both as a player and as a coach. It’s really good to see them doing so well in the league.
“It’s a great club, great people, great fans, a great city. It’s going to be an emotional one for me to go back.”
Rosenior says there will be no sentimentality as he attempts to guide Chelsea into the fifth round.
He added: “I will want to take this game really seriously. We’re going to have to because they’re in good form and used to winning games at the moment.”
Hull have enjoyed a fine season under Sergej Jakirović with the Croatian’s side sitting in fourth place in the Championship.
How to watch Hull v Chelsea: TV and online streams
Hull versus Chelsea kicks off on Friday at 19:45 GMT and is on BBC one and TNT Sports 1 in the UK. It can also be streamed on the BBC iPlayer and via the discovery+ app.
Stats for Hull v Chelsea
- Hull have won one of their last 35 games against Chelsea in all competitions (D8 L26)
- Hull are looking to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2017-18
- Chelsea have progressed from 62 of their last 64 FA Cup ties against sides from outside the Premier League
