Hull hero Snodgrass plays down Celtic link
Midfielder has endured a tough two years but is optimistic about the future
ROBERT SNODGRASS has pledged his immediate future to Hull City even if boyhood club Celtic make a summer move for him.
The 28-year-old winger has long been on the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership champions’ radar and the remarkable comeback he has made from a serious knee injury would have banished any doubts over his fitness.
Snodgrass, who began his career at Livingston before moving to Leeds United, starred for Hull in their victory on Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley in the SkyBet Championship play-off, which the Humberside outfit won 1-0.
Such a player would cost Celtic at least the £7 million Hull paid for him two years ago and if Brendan Rodgers does target him, and the player himself admitted he had been told about an interest, his wage demands would make him the best paid player at Celtic.
Snodgrass has strong emotional ties to the east end of Glasgow and even joked his family never watch him play for Hull because “you can’t get them away from Parkhead”.
But his deep feelings for Hull and gratitude for the way they looked after him during his 18-month battle to return from a dislocated knee means it would take a sensational offer to lure him back to Scotland.
Asked about Celtic being interested in him, Snodgrass said: “To be honest with you, I think everyone and their dog has messaged me about it. You are always the last to know.
“A new manager has gone into Celtic and it’s great for Scottish football, I have to say. But, for myself, I am a Hull City player. The supporters have been terrific for me. I have a three-year contract and I’m going to give this club every drop I have until I’m told otherwise.
“I have been through so much. These team-mates of mine are brilliant. I have great rapport with them and I love going into training every day. We go in with a smile on our faces.
“I can’t control what happens outside the club. The only thing I can control is what happens here and I have loved every second of Hull.”
ROBERT SNODGRASS stood out from the rest of the Hull City players who emerged from their Wembley dressing room late into Saturday evening in that he was carrying a bottle of water.
Everyone else had beer, some had beer and champagne, and then the lad from Glasgow lets everyone down, including his home town it must be said, by staying away from the hard stuff when it is the one time footballers are allowed to get really, really drunk.
The lack of booze is not the only thing that makes this footballer just a bit different from the rest.
Snodgrass has some story and he tells it with honesty, openness and not a hint of bitterness about the bad times. Those include 18 months out with a serious knee injury, which came in his first ever appearance for Hull City in the Premier League following a £7 million move from Leeds United. Talk about bad luck. However, Snodgrass, one of the good guys, wore a smile as wide as the Clyde after playing his part in Hull’s defeat of Sheffield Wednesday in what became known as the £200m play-off final, the winner taking home promotion to the Premier League and quite a few pounds.
You could tell the money side of things has no interest to Snodgrass. It is all about football, family and making those close to him proud. It also showed him that the sacrifices, which have to be made to cut it at this level, and he’s made more than his fair share, were worth it.
“That is where you want to be,” said Snodgrass, who couldn’t stop grinning despite being the last player out of the dressing room because he was picked for a drug test.
“That is the reason you live away from home, to better yourself and play the best possible level. I don’t like being away from my family, I genuinely don’t. But I am because I want to play at the top and you need to make sacrifices to get there. I have done that and it’s paid off.
“That is the best way to get promotion. At the end I couldn’t control my arms it was so crazy. It is a dream come true. We got two chances after missing out on automatic promotion. That’s what I said to the other players, ‘Lads, it’s not often you get two chances in life. We let the first one go, don’t let the second one go because we would have so much regret’.
“I didn’t want that regret, I didn’t want my family to have to pick me up.
“When you have kids you sometimes have to do things you don’t want to but every single thing I do is for my family. I am just a lucky lad from Glasgow with a bonus that I get paid for something I love.
“I want to have a rest now because I haven’t switched off in two years and that’s the honest truth. I didn’t have summer last year, I haven’t had one single beer during that time and for a lad from Glasgow that is quite a tough thing.
“That might be my biggest achievement. Some of my family and mates think I’ve gone insane.”
Snodgrass admitted that when he did make it up to the box where his family and that of fellow Scot Andy Robertson had watched the game, that is when it hit home what has just happened to him.
“When I saw my mum Irene and dad Stephen, for them to be there when they don’t actually leave Parkhead to be honest with you, that was amazing,” he said. “They were crying, I was crying, it was very emotional. My missus, Denise, is pregnant, and that was great.
“It has been a journey for me, a chapter, and I wanted to get through the full process. I did that and lifted that trophy.
“Do you know what? To do it when all your family are there, who don’t get to any of the games, and friends who I have grown up with from school, for them to watch me lift a trophy and to know what I have been through, the emotions were all over the place. It was one of the happiest days I’ve had over the last two-and-a-half years.”
Journey was a word he used a lot. Hopefully he only has good times ahead. Snodgrass couldn’t even run this time last year. To make matters worse, Hull got relegated on the last day of last season with their big summer signing sitting in the stand utterly unable to help.
It was then Snodgrass made a pledge to himself. He said: “When I was out I would sit behind the dugout to watch the games, watching the lads slip lower and lower down the table in the Premier League.
“And then when it was confirmed we were down, Newcastle won to relegate us, that day I made a promise to myself I would do everything I could to get this club back in the Premier League.”
They did that and deservedly so. Mo Diame’s excellent goal was the only one of the game; however, Hull were by far the better side.
The only downside was Steve Bruce having the audacity to substitute Snodgrass who had plenty to say for himself as he came off the field.
“I was gutted because I thought I was just getting in the game,” Snodgrass admitted. “However, that is why he is in the hot seat.
“He made a decision, which is best for the team, you have to respect that. He and I were in the dressing room having a laugh and a joke. He’s a top manager and a top guy. The celebrations were sensational.”
Even on the aqua rather than on the alcohol.