The Tigers had been favourites for an instant return to the Championship after winning promotion to the English Premier League at the end of last season.

But so far they have defied the critics and currently sit third in the table. Richard was an 82nd minute substitute in the Tigers latest triumph, a 1-0 victory over his old club West Ham United this weekend.

Garcia was part of the Hammers FA Youth Cup-winning side of 1999 where he played alongside the likes of Michael Carrick and Joe Cole.

He told the Hull Daily Mail: "Being young and naive, I didn't really care that I was away from home. It was fantastic.

"It was a new challenge and I was out and about in a big city. You couldn't get any better."

While he eventually moved on from West Ham and ended up at Hull via Colchester United, Garcia's spot in the big time is attracting plenty of interest in Australia.

He was part of the Socceroos squad that saw off Qatar in Brisbane last week and it seems his efforts are helping Hull win plenty of new fans a long, long way from the north of England.

He said: "It's been really refreshing to see so many people coming up to me and saying that Hull City are their new favourite team."