Exiled Scotland man helps club end 3409-day wait as ex-Rangers target scores in shock opening day win

Promoted via the EFL Championship playoffs in May, the Tigers faced Michael Carrick’s side on the first day of the new Premier League campaign as they celebrated their return to the top flight for the first time since the 2016/17 season.

McBurnie, 30, enjoyed an eye-catching campaign for the Tigers last season, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, including the 90th-minute winner in a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough that sealed Hull’s return to the Premier League via the EFL Championship playoff final at Wembley.

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However, despite his impressive goalscoring form, his five-year international exile continued as former national team boss Steve Clarke decided against recalling McBurnie, opting to take Lawrence Shankland, Lyndon Dykes, Che Adams and Ross Stewart to the World Cup in North America.

He may be out of favour at international level, but he started as expected for Hull against the Red Devils, with former Rangers man Kieran Dowell named amongst the substitutes. Huge underdogs ahead of kick-off, Sergej Jakirovic’s side got off to a perfect start when centre-back Semi Ajayi fired home into an empty net after McBurnie saw his shot blocked on the line, sending the home supporters into raptures and giving them a surprise lead against the Red Devils after just 18 minutes.

And things got even better for the home side when former Rangers defensive target Nobel Mendy doubled Hull’s lead with a close-range header from Regan Slater’s in-swinging free kick on 38 minutes to seal his side’s first win in the Premier League since a 2-0 win over Watford on April 22, 2017, a whole 3409 days ago.

The 22-year-old was strongly linked with a move to Ibrox last season, with reports claiming the club had beaten off several clubs to strike up an agreement for the Senegalese defender, who was rumoured to have been offered a four-year deal, with Rangers prepared to pay Real Betis a fee of £3million for his services.

However, the deal was scuppered when Rayo Vallecano swooped in at the final hour to sign the centre-back from under Rangers’ noses. Mendy went on to become a regular for the Spanish outfit, enjoying a stellar debut season at the Vallecas Stadium, earning himself a reported £21.1 million move to Hull this summer as the newly promoted side splashed out on the talented young defender. Meanwhile, Jens Hjerto-Dahl, who was heavily linked with Rangers this summer before moving to Hull for £10million, was an unused substitute for the Tigers.