Hull City - George Boyd
The final club promoted to the Premier League is Steve Bruce's Hull City, who finished runners-up to Cardiff City. With the unpredictability of the Championship, it was a surprise to see Hull return to the top flight after only a brief absence since their relegation in 2010. With Bruce they have as experienced manager at clubs constantly battling relegation as they possibly could have, as he has helped protect the Premier League safety of clubs such as Birmingham City, Wigan and Sunderland in his career. But, if Hull were able to survive this season, it would certainly be his most remarkable achievement in football. With Cardiff looking to have the best overall squad and Crystal Palace having the attack-minded Ian Holloway in charge, many see the Tigers as the most likely for the drop. If recent history is any indication, the pundits might be too quick to predict their imminent doom. Although Reading went straight back down last year, the last two years has seen only one team lasting only one season in the Premier League. Promoted clubs have down reasonably well, and Hull have a good manager and reasonably competent side, with a mix of experienced talent in the league and hungry young players desiring the chance to prove themselves. They have shown a willingness to splash the cash to secure their position, with Allan McGregor, Maynor Figueroa and Danny Graham all joining the club, alongside already established stars such as Robert Koren, Sone Aluko and Aaron McLean. My choice for their most prominent player throughout the upcoming season is a player that has performed in every division and has had to wait until the age of 27 to reach the highest summit. George Boyd began his professional career at Stevenage Borough in the Conference for five years, before the man dubbed "The White Pele" by fans moved up to Peterborough, and slipped seamlessly into the side that was promoted from League Two up into the Championship in a few years. He was certainly a talented passer of the ball and though was often inconsistent in his performances, would be the most likely member of the team to make something happen out of nothing. He initially signed for Hull on loan, before his assistance in the back end of the last season helped the club get promoted and earned him a permanent contract. Bruce stands by the ability of the Scot after his superb performance against Birmingham City, and without his impact it is possible that Hull would have been trumped by a number of other clubs that were chasing automatic promotion. In the same vein as Rickie Lambert and Grant Holt, hopefully Boyd will grasp at the opportunity he has long been awaiting with both hands and help keep his side in the league.
Where will they finish? - 19th