I'd train at Arsenal all week, go up on Friday, train with the lads, play Saturday and then go back to London they had great fans and I was like a messiah': Ray Parlour reflects on Hull City spell fondly

Ray Parlour, after leaving Arsenal in 2004 for Middlesbrough, returned briefly to train with Arsenal. In February 2007, he signed with Hull City amidst their relegation threats, but kept them safe during his tenure. Interestingly, he trained continually with Arsenal rather than Hull, making a pact that Hull would not pay him if he got injured while training at Arsenal. This flexible arrangement proved beneficial, leading to 15 appearances for Hull and contributing to their Championship survival.

I'm really pleased about that, because they should have gone down that year... I was training with Arsenal and Steve Bould was good mates with Hull's assistant manager.

So, I lived in London, went up Friday morning, trained with the lads, played the game on Saturday and went back again.

I said, 'One thing I'll do for you: if I get injured training with Arsenal, you don't have to pay me.' They tried to say no but I respected them.

That short-term deal worked out perfectly for both parties, with Parlour making 15 appearances in total in his mid-30s.

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