George Boateng believes Hull could have avoided relegation from the Premier League had influential winger Stephen Hunt not suffered a season-ending injury in the latter half of the campaign.
The Republic of Ireland international, voted Hull’s player of the season, contributed six goals to the Tigers’ cause following his arrival from Reading last summer but his absence was keenly felt during the run-in after suffering a foot injury in February.
Hunt underwent surgery on the problem last month but it came too late to save Hull’s top-flight status.
As one of cash-strapped Hull’s prize assets, Hunt looks certain to move away from the club this summer, and veteran midfielder Boateng is disappointed that the 28-year-old did not have the opportunity to take a leading role in the fight against the drop.
“When you look at the man who won the player of the season award, Stephen Hunt, he scored six goals and when he wasn’t playing towards the end, the team wasn’t the same,” said Boateng.
“If he hadn’t got injured, another six goals would maybe have got us the points we needed to be safe. However those are the things you can’t control.”