Hodgson keen to avoid Bullard backlash

ROY HODGSON has urged Fulham fans to give Jimmy Bullard a warm welcome if he makes a long-awaited comeback at Craven Cottage tonight.

Bullard enjoyed almost three years at Craven Cottage before moving to the KC stadium in January for a club record £5million fee.

Bullard’s Tigers debut ended in personal disaster when he was stretchered off after just 37 minutes when with cruciate knee ligament damage.

He has not played a competitive match since but scored a long-range opener in Hull’s 2-1 reserve defeat at Bolton in midweek, prompting suggestions that he may be in line to make his comeback in this evening’s clash.

Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez and Emanuel Adebayor have all been booed when facing their old clubs this year and fans’ message boards have been rife with talk of giving Bullard a similar reception.

But Hodgson hopes Fulham fans do not hold any grudges against the midfielder, who turned down an improved contract to move to Hull.

“I would imagine that he will not get a bad reception but I don’t know how fans think in those areas,” Hodgson said. “The game has changed enormously in that respect. In the past you wouldn’t have imagined it but these days you see Barry getting booed every touch he makes when playing for Manchester City against Aston Villa so who knows.

“I wouldn’t like to think that will happen, though, and I would take no satisfaction from our fans doing that so I rather hope that they will give him a better reception.

“We live in a world where professional football involves players playing at a club and if something else comes along that they prefer then they will move on.

“Everyone accepts that and I think our fans in particular will not hold it against him that he left the club.”

Phil Brown, the Hull manager, is likely to start with Bullard on the bench, although his team-mates are desperate for him to return. “Having him back on the training ground has been a big plus over the last few weeks,” Kevin Kilbane, the Ireland international, said.

“He is a great player and I think he is going to prove that over this season now.

“He feels he has got something to prove because he got injured straight away.

“He is like a new signing for us and he is coming in fresh and full of beans.”

Kilbane admits he will be distracted in the build-up to kick-off by Ireland’s World Cup play-off draw, which takes place in Zurich at lunchtime.

“We will all be watching the draw, but we have to try to be focused on Fulham in the evening,” Kilbane added.

“With my professional hat on, I will be looking whole-heartedly at Fulham – but I think we will be having a little look whenever that draw is made.”