Who starred for Hull last time they were in the Premier League? Hull City’s 2016-17 season ended in relegation, but the squad Mike Phelan and later Marco Silva inherited included several players who went on to enjoy considerably better fortunes elsewhere. Few relegated squads from that era can claim to have produced as much talent that went on to thrive at the very top of the game. Anyone checking Hull City vs Man U odds for this season’s reunion fixture is watching a Hull side built very differently to the one that faced the same relegation battle nine years ago.
That season’s squad produced two players who would go on to captain their countries and win major honours elsewhere, alongside others who built long, productive Premier League careers after leaving. Here are five of the standout performers from Hull’s last spell in the top flight.
Robert Snodgrass
Snodgrass was Hull’s top scorer that season with league goals, having returned from a serious knee injury to reestablish himself in the side. He left for West Ham United in January 2017 during that same relegation campaign, and went on to further spells at West Bromwich Albion and Luton Town, continuing to feature regularly in English football well into his 30s.
Harry Maguire
Maguire made his name as a composed centre back for Hull, having a defining 2015-16 season, and doing enough to earn a £17m move to Leicester City that summer. He went on to captain England and complete a then world record £80m transfer to Manchester United in 2019, a remarkable rise for a defender who had been playing Championship football with Hull only a few years earlier.
For those checking Premier League top 4 odds each season, Maguire’s own path from a relegated Hull side to regular Champions League football shows how quickly fortunes can change for a player who impresses at this level.
Andrew Robertson
Robertson made 57 Premier League appearances for Hull during his time at the club, contributing one goal and four assists as one of the side’s most consistent performers despite relegation.
Liverpool signed him for around £8m in the summer of 2017, and he went on to win the Champions League and Premier League while captaining Scotland. Robertson left Liverpool this summer to join Tottenham Hotspur after an incredible career at Anfield.
Jake Livermore
Livermore made his move to Hull permanent for a club record £8m in 2014 after an initial loan spell, and he remained a regular in midfield through the 2016-17 campaign before being sold to West Bromwich Albion for around £10m in January 2017.
He continued playing Premier League and Championship football with West Brom for several years afterwards, becoming a reliable presence in their midfield.
Abel Hernandez
Hernandez arrived at Hull for a club record £10m in 2014 and scored three league goals during the 2016-17 season, one of three players tied for second on the club’s scoring charts that year behind Snodgrass. Injuries limited his impact during his final months at the club, and he later moved on to spells in Italy and the Middle East as his career wound down away from English football.
Between them, these five players show just how much talent passed through Hull’s squad during that difficult final season in the top flight, even if the results on the pitch rarely reflected it.
FAQs For Who Starred For Hull
Who starred for Hull last time they were in the Premier League?
Hull’s 2016-17 squad featured Robert Snodgrass, Harry Maguire, Andrew Robertson, Jake Livermore and Abel Hernandez. Snodgrass led the scoring charts, while Maguire and Robertson went on to captain England and Scotland respectively.
When was Hull City last in the Premier League?
The 2016-17 campaign was Hull’s most recent top-flight season. They were relegated at the end of it, and have played outside the Premier League ever since.
Which Hull City player became the most successful?
Andrew Robertson has the strongest trophy record of the group, winning the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool after an £8m move in 2017.
Who was Hull City’s top scorer in 2016-17?
Robert Snodgrass finished as the club’s leading league scorer that season, having returned from a serious knee injury before departing for West Ham in January 2017.
Conclusion
Hull’s last Premier League season ended in relegation, but the squad list reads far better with hindsight than it did at the time. Two future international captains, a record-breaking centre-back transfer and a Champions League winner all passed through the club in a single campaign. The side that returns to face Manchester United this season is a different one entirely but the 2016-17 squad is a reminder that relegation rarely tells the full story of the players involved.
