Bruce: We could be heroes

Steve Bruce has put out a rallying call to his players to be the hero who delivers Hull City their first FA Cup this weekend.
Steve Bruce at the FA Cup semi-final

Steve Bruce has put out a rallying call to his players to be the hero who delivers Hull City their first FA Cup this weekend.

The Yorkshire outfit have already made history by making the first major cup final in the club’s 110-year history but Bruce believes if someone steps forward at Wembley on Saturday there is no reason his team can not go one better.

“Wembley is a place where heroes are made. Who can be that hero to go and win us the Cup?" said the Hull boss as he pondered the FA Cup Final clash with Arsenal.

"When you play for your youth team or your district team, you want to do one thing – to play in the FA Cup final.”

“They're all ready and all prepared.”

Preparations may have gone well in East Riding but Bruce is open about the fact this has been no normal week at the club’s training ground.

"We try but we can't keep it normal, you can tell that. There's a spring in their step and so there should be. You can't put a lid on that,” the Hull boss said.

“They're playing in arguably the biggest game of their career and that's what you play football for, for occasions like this."

With over a quarter of a million people living in Hull, Bruce’s men can rely on an incredible backing from their area.

However the former Manchester United defender believes it won’t just be the residents of the Yorkshire city who will be cheering his players on.

"Everybody enjoys a shock," said Bruce. "If you're not an Arsenal fan, I'm sure the rest of the world will be rooting for Hull.”

"We must be rank outsiders but that's the beauty of the FA Cup. That's what we saw last year. Manchester City were huge favourites and Wigan have come up and won the thing.

"That's why for me, it's the greatest competition. There have always been shocks.”

Relive Hull's route to the FA Cup Final below.