Sergej Jakirovic has Hull City challenging for promotion to the Premier League. "Yet another bizarre appointment by the chairman." "I don't get it... why not go for someone with a proven track record in the Championship?" "I cannot believe we are doing this again... a complete nobody with no experience in English football." Hull City's decision to appoint Sergej Jakirovic as their new head coach in June last year was not met with much, or indeed any, enthusiasm from a number of fans.

The Tigers had just avoided relegation to League One on goal difference, one season after now Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior was sacked for only managing a seventh-placed finish. Yet many were still surprised Ruben Selles was fired after keeping them up. However, Jakirovic and Hull have confounded expectations to sit just five points off the top two in the Championship.

As the former Bosnia international prepares to welcome Chelsea for a FA Cup fourth-round tie, how did the much-travelled 49-year-old end up leading an unexpected promotion charge in East Yorkshire?

"With a towering stature and steely gaze that could burn a hole through concrete, Sergej Jakirovic walked into the media suite at Hull City's MKM Stadium last summer and immediately commanded the attention of everyone in attendance," BBC Radio Humberside's Hull City reporter Mike White said.

"Based on that first impression, you'd be forgiven for thinking he was going to be a tough nut to crack for those of us in the media who'd be dealing with him all the time. However, it didn't take long for us to realise that first impressions aren't always the best way to judge someone. He's personable with an engaging sense of humour, intelligent, passionate and always forthright in his views."

It took a while for Jakirovic to make those first impressions count on the pitch as City made a mixed start to the season, with two wins, three draws and three losses in their opening eight league matches. A good run through October and November propelled them up the table, but it was a 4-1 home reverse by Middlesbrough that built the platform for their move into promotion contention.

Hull City players celebrate their penalty shootout win over Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the FA Cup.

After that defeat by Boro, Hull had conceded 34 goals from 19 games, the second-worst defensive record in the league. Since then they have let in just nine goals from their subsequent 12 games, with eight wins and six clean sheets in that run. By the end of January, they had won more points and games, scored more goals and kept more clean sheets than they did across the whole of the 2024-25 season.

The Tigers are averaging 45% possession compared to 49% last season and making an average of 276 successful passes per game, 70 fewer than last time out. Under Tim Walter and Selles last season, the side scored two goals from what football statisticians Opta define as fast breaks - this season it's already nine.

Experienced striker Oli McBurnie, who has scored 12 goals in 22 league appearances this season, said that the team are benefitting from the trust the manager and staff have in the players. "It's not been like a dictatorship. Since they've come in they've understood what English football and culture is about," he told BBC Radio Humberside.

"They will have a conversation with you. Obviously, the gaffer has the final decision but they've been brilliant. They understand the league and understand that we know the league and our opinions matter and having Dean Holden on the staff is massive for them."

Friday, 13 February - 19:45 GMT Watch on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Radio Humberside.

White agrees that Jakirovic's work has been built on solid foundations with sporting director Jared Dublin and head of recruitment Martin Hodge. However, against a backdrop of a lengthy injury list that at one point saw Jakirovic say he had 11 fit senior players, he believes the manager deserves "a tremendous amount of credit".

"It should be said that going into this season little was expected of a team working under a two-window EFL transfer restriction - only free signings and loans without fees were permitted - but the quality of recruitment has been nothing short of remarkable," said White.

"Adding to their challenges have been one serious injury after another to some of their key players like Oli McBurnie, John Lundstram, Joe Gelhardt and Mo Belloumi - a list that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the full injury crisis the club has found itself in consistently. Yet still they plough on, with a shot at the top two still a very real possibility - particularly given Coventry's recent downturn in form - so a return to the Premier League after nine years away shouldn't be ruled out.

"And Jakirovic deserves a tremendous amount of credit for steering it all in the right direction."

This video cannot be played 'Hull will always have a special place in my heart' - Rosenior.

Jakirovic was born into a football family in Mostar, then part of Yugoslavia, in December 1976. His father Enver played as a goalkeeper for NK Neretva in modern-day Croatia and it was there that the Tigers boss began his own playing career. Across 20 years, he played as a defensive midfielder in Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Austria and also won five caps for Bosnia.

A third generation of the family is now looking to make their way in the game - he gave a professional debut to his son Leon at Dinamo Zagreb when the latter was just 16 in May 2024. The teenager moved on to Italian super club Inter Milan last month.

Sergej Jakirovic's spell as Dinamo Zagreb boss came to an end after they were thumped 9-2 at Bayern Munich in the Champions League in September 2024.

After hanging up his boots, Jakirovic started his senior coaching career at Croatian second division side Sesvete in 2017 and then moved on to top-tier side Gorica the following year. A brief spell with Slovenian champions Maribor followed before he guided Bosnian outfit Zrinjski Mostar to the title in 2021-22. He returned to Croatia to take over at Rijeka in November 2022 but quit to replace former Liverpool midfielder Igor Biscan at Dinamo Zagreb in August 2023 and won the Croatian double that season.

However, after becoming the first team to concede nine goals in a Champions League game, when they were demolished 9-2 by Bayern Munich, Jakirovic left in September 2024. Turkish strugglers Kayserispor appointed him as their boss in January last year and he led them away from relegation danger before making the move to England.

"When you look at Sergej's career he was successful everywhere he went," owner Acun Ilicali told BBC Radio Humberside in the summer after making Jakirovic his fifth boss since taking over in January 2022. "He played the football at Kayserispor that I want to see my team play. When you look at his career he has the talent to make all his teams play similar games."

Despite the early scepticism, it looks like this "bizarre appointment" could just be the perfect one.