Hull City banked £300k bargain from Man Utd - he 'gave me one of the best moments in my life' | OneFootball

FLW's Tigers Fan Pundit believes James Chester was part of a "special" group of players at the club

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It’s been over a decade since James Chester last played for Hull City, and he’s now being referred to as a "club legend" that doesn't get "mentioned enough."

Few surely predicted that’d be the stance from the Tigers’ faithful now, considering Chester only cost the East Yorkshire outfit £300k from Manchester United.

Given that the Welsh international defender was then subsequently sold to West Bromwich Albion for a reported £8m, it's fair to say it was also a transfer masterstroke.

But what made Chester so special in a black and amber shirt? FLW spoke with a familiar voice to find out.

James Chester gave Hull City fans "one of the best moments" of their life

Arriving at Hull initially through then-manager Nigel Pearson on loan, Chester quickly adapted to life in the Championship and went on to become an absolute rock at the heart of the Tigers' backline.

FLW spoke with our Tigers Fan Pundit, Cameron Gibson, who watched the defender's entire journey at the club.

"I don’t have enough time to say everything I’d like to say about him, but gave me one of the best moments in my life, scoring that goal at Wembley in the FA Cup final against Arsenal," Gibson explained, noting Chester's opener in the 2014 FA Cup final.

"Obviously, an absolutely quality player for us in the Premier League. I remember him scoring on the first day of the season away at QPR, absolutely solid, great pace, great on the ball - just great to watch.

"He was great to look at in terms of, you know, how he used to control the ball, his passes and everything," he added.

Given this description, many people saw centre-backs as purely defensive - but Chester was different. In Gibson’s eyes, he was comfortable on the ball and brought a level of sophistication to Hull's play that helped out the entire team.

James Chester was part of a "special" group of players at Hull City

Perhaps the most telling detail about Chester's time at Hull came in Gibson's description of the camaraderie that existed within the squad during those "prime years."

Before that FA Cup goal, Chester played 48 times under Steve Bruce in 12/13 as the Tigers stormed to second place in the Championship, securing automatic promotion back to the Premier League after a three-year absence.

"Now he’s retired, he played the most games for Hull City, played a lot for us in the Championship, and starred obviously under Steve Bruce getting promoted," Gibson told FLW.

In total, Chester made 171 appearances for the club across all competitions before moving to the Baggies.

"I think he came from Manchester United on loan at the time with like Robbie Brady and stuff like that. Meyler was on loan from Sunderland as well, so it was just a good little group we had," Gibson continued.

Chester did indeed arrive alongside Robbie Brady on loan from United, with midfielder David Meyler also linking up temporarily before they all secured permanent moves.

"There were times when I think Chester, Paul McShane, Meyler and a couple of others - Jake Livermore - were all living together, and you could tell they had a real good connection. That group of players was special," the Fan Pundit added.

"I think most Hull City fans, if we look back to 2014,15,16, they were the prime years."

Concluding on Chester, Gibson said, "Yeah, we made a lot of money on him and I think he went on to achieve bigger things in his career. He went on to play in the Premier League, I think he went to the Euros with Wales, so he had a really good career. Definitely a Hull City legend, probably not one that gets mentioned enough."

After leaving Hull and West Brom - the latter he only played 19 times for - Chester signed for Aston Villa, Stoke City, Derby County and eventually Barrow before retiring with Salford City.

Ultimately, Baggies fans will have an entirely different opinion on the defender, but there may not have been promotion in 12/13 - let alone an FA Cup final appearance a year later for Hull, without Chester.