"I started laughing" - Fabio Carvalho reveals Liam Rosenior's Derby County claim that led to Hull, Liverpool deal | OneFootball

Fabio Carvalho has opened up on his relationship with Liam Rosenior, which was the key factor in his decision to move to Hull City in the January window.

Fabio Carvalho enjoying life at Hull City

After starring with Fulham as they won promotion from the Championship in 2022, Carvalho secured a high-profile move to Liverpool, but he understandably struggled for regular game time at Anfield.

So, following a difficult loan at Leipzig in the first part of the campaign, it was decided in January that Carvalho would stay in England for his next temporary spell away from the Reds.

It was the Tigers that won the race for his signature, with Carvalho linking up with Rosenior’s Championship promotion hopefuls.

And, he has shown why he was so coveted, having scored four goals in 11 games as Hull battle to finish in the top six.

Fabio Carvalho on Liam Rosenior

With the calibre of clubs in for Carvalho, it was a real coup for Hull to convince the player to come to the MKM Stadium, and the attacker told the Yorkshire Post that Rosenior was central in his decision, as he revealed an encounter they had previously.

"I played against Derby when Liam was the assistant and I scored. He said, 'I know you,' and I'm, like, 'What do you mean?'

"He said, 'You played against me, you scored and I had to make up a whole plan to stop you and Mika.' I started laughing. It was one of the first things he said to me.

"We just clicked. I speak to him a lot and he speaks to me a lot and we've got a good bond going. I feel like every player, starting or not starting, can go to him and speak about anything. It’s easy to relate to him.

"One thing he said stuck with me. He said you have to go to a club where you're excited about training, about learning. I thought I hadn't had that for a long time.”

Fabio Carvalho will be key for Hull’s promotion hopes

Even though the 21-year-old has enjoyed a fine start to life with the Tigers, a run of four successive draws has been frustrating for the team, and it’s caused them to lose ground to Norwich City.

They continue to play good football under Rosenior, but in recent weeks they have lacked that ruthless edge, with a combination of poor finishing and a few defensive lapses having seen them fail to turn those draws into wins.

Nevertheless, with Carvalho, Anass Zaroury and Jaden Philogene just some of the players at his disposal, Rosenior will still have faith that this team can reach the play-offs come May, because they really do have some outstanding individuals at this level.

Hull are back in action on Good Friday when they host a struggling Stoke City side, so they will see it as a fantastic opportunity to get three points and to potentially close the cap to the Canaries.