Hull City: Jacob Greaves development will surely only intensify Everton and Tottenham pursuit - View | OneFootball

Highlights

The Championship 'Team of the Season' was announced on Sunday night, and as always, certain inclusions seemed rather controversial.

However, that couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to Hull City'sJacob Greaves, who has shone for the Tigers over a number of years, but has been a vital asset for Liam Rosenior across a season where the side have flirted with the play-offs for a number of months.

Greaves has also set himself apart from a number of teammates at a time when the overall side's performances have been inconsistent, but as has been the case since its formation back in League One, the central defensive partnership of the Hull-born star alongside Alfie Jones continues to prosper.

Ultimately, the 23-year-old has been the stereotypical 'Rolls-Royce' centre-back for City this season, despite the fact that the side have only kept 10 clean sheets across their 41 Championship matches to date.

Based off defenders that have featured in a minimum of five league games this season according to Sofascore, Greaves is the highest-performing centre-back on average, even outperforming the likes of Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes and Joe Rodon.

The 7.31 average rating also makes him Hull's joint-best performer alongside Jaden Philogene, although many would agree in saying that Greaves has been far more consistent than his attacking colleague, who was also sidelined for two months.

Indeed, the inclusion within the 'Team of the Season' on Sunday evening capped off a remarkable four-season stint for the defender, who has won the club's 'Young Player of the Year' award for three consecutive seasons, playing with great composure, maturity and leadership along the way, with two of those facets more than noticeable in defeats to Stoke and Leeds, during which the defender was serving a two-game suspension.

Greaves told official club media after his nomination. "I feel like I've gone from a boy to a man."

"Under the gaffer (Liam Rosenior) I feel like I've developed within myself and put in some proper performances, stood up and been counted," Greaves added.

Two performances stand out from Greaves this season

As the defender alluded to, his string of consistent performances led to the nomination, but there are two performances in particular from the 23-year-old that shine above the rest.

The first of those came in the 2-1 away win at Huddersfield Town on February 17th, where the centre-back grabbed the limelight for two goals - the last of which came in the 95th minute - alongside a faultless defensive display once more, which included success in 16 of his 17 aerial duels at the John Smith's Stadium - resulting in a 9.5 match rating.

Furthermore, his defensive ability shone through in the goalless draw away to Preston just weeks later, earning rave reviews for another immaculate performance at the back, winning 20 of his 21 ground and aerial battles, eight clearances and two blocked shots - including a volley from Ali McCann in the second period.

And, although Hull are known as a side who build from the back, Greaves' assist for Aaron Connolly in the 3-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers further echoes the ability he has with the ball at his feet, proven by an 89% pass accuracy percentage.

Although City aren't mathematically out of the equation for a play-off place, their chances are hanging by a thread at present.

Therefore, it wouldn't be a surprise for Premier League admirers to circle over Greaves once more, with Everton and Tottenham recently linked with the one-time Aston Villa target - with the 23-year-old a potentially more-than adequate replacement for the in-demand and now England international Jarrad Branthwaite, who continues to attract interest from Manchester United.

Transfermarkt values Greaves at €14m (£11.95m), although Hull would be within their right to demand a greater fee, especially with Sunday night's inclusion, proving his ceiling is way higher than a side seventh in the Championship.

Supporters would no doubt love to see him stay and earn promotion with a club that runs through his family - his father Mark was a cult hero at Boothferry Park in the late 1990s and early 2000s - but Jacob is proving week upon week that he's ready to make the step-up to the top flight regardless.

The Tigers' hierarchy will no doubt also be licking their lips over a potential fee, given that he remains under contract at the MKM Stadium until June 2026.