He said it 12 months ago after helping the Tigers to victory at Wembley and after helping the Club to maintain their Barclays Premier League status, Nick Barmby was happy to reiterate just what it means.

Speaking after the drama of 'Survival Sunday' and despite losing 1-0 to Manchester United, Hull-born Barmby said:

"It means everything. It was a great day for the fans and staying up means everything to them and the players.

"They saw the commitment today, although I have to say they also saw it from Manchester United. For a supposed under-strength side, they were a very, very good team.

"It was hard to get the ball off them and the future is definitely bright at that club.

"But today is about us staying in the Barclays Premier League and that is what we wanted to do right from the outset. We've managed to do it and everybody connected to the Club is chuffed to bits.

"We obviously heard the cheers when Aston Villa scored (against Newcastle) and the drama on Sunday is what sets this league apart from every other.

"This tops Wembley last year. To have another crack at the top flight gives the fans another journey to look forward to. They've been magnificent all season and they can now look forward to going to Old Trafford and Anfield again.

"With the start we made, people were talking about us finishing up in tenth or twelfth place, but I said and the manager said right from the outset that survival was the key.

"This has a knock-on effect as well. It's great for the city and it means that the kids here can watch more top flight football."