Hull City will be the envy of Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley when it comes to forward: View | OneFootball

Mallik Wilks' most prolific spell came in East Yorkshire

The second half of the 2019/20 season was a strange period across the world of football, but for Hull City, it was a major disaster.

After the close of play against Sheffield Wednesday on New Year's Day, the Tigers sat in eighth place in the Championship table, just two places and a point outside the play-off positions.

This initial top-six bid was largely fuelled by the creative sparks of Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki, both of whom would depart for West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion on Deadline Day, whilst being replaced by underwhelming signings in the form of James Scott and Marcus Maddison.

Although City's season would end in comical fashion after 'project restart' with an accumulation of six points from a possible 60 and finishing rock-bottom of the second tier, one of their winter additions would embark on a major redemption arc in League One, with such form making Hull the envy of two Yorkshire rivals.

Mallik Wilks had only just begun his maiden stint in the Championship with Barnsley, making just 16 appearances and finding the net on a solitary occasion for the Tykes, before Grant McCann completed an initial loan move for the winger, which included an option-to-buy clause that was activated months later.

Despite Hull's slide down the table, Wilks' personal form was somewhat impressive, with three goals in his first seven appearances for the club, although the East Yorkshire side were already beginning to stare relegation to the third tier in the face.

Two further goals, which included a stoppage-time winner against Middlesbrough to secure a first victory in 14 league games for McCann's side wasn't enough to save City, who embarked on their first League One season in 15 years.

The Leeds United academy graduate had previously excelled at the level under McCann in Doncaster Rovers' run to the play-offs in 2019 with a tally of 14 goals, and he would once again flourish under the Northern Irishman.

The trio of Wilks, Josh Magennis and Keane Lewis-Potter were responsible for 50 of Hull's 80 league goals in the title-winning season, with the former Accrington Stanley loanee finding the net with a variety of strikes, including two braces and a hat-trick in a 5-0 away success over Wigan Athletic in February 2021.

“The front three – Mallik, Josh and Keano – they’ve all got into double figures for goals and that is the first time that has happened here since 2003/04 when Stuart Elliott, Ben Burgess and Danny Allsopp scored 47 between them," McCann stated.

However, none of his 22 goals across all competitions were as decisive as his 83rd-minute winner in the promotion-sealing victory over Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium, coolly sending Alex Palmer the wrong way.

Unfortunately for City, Wilks was unable to continue such form upon the club's immediate return to the Championship, making just 20 appearances and finding the net in victories over Middlesbrough and Birmingham City, with his last goal for the club coming in a 1-1 draw against Reading in December 2021.

A foot injury would see him miss a large proportion of Shota Arveladze's first months in charge, with the Georgian only utilising his services on three occasions - the last of those coming in August 2022 against Burnley, before moving to Hillsborough for an undisclosed fee.

As previously mentioned, although the Tykes secured their safety at the expense of Hull in July 2020, they would have no doubt been frustrated that Wilks couldn't have contributed a similar goal tally at Oakwell, albeit his small appearance total for the club would have impacted those chances.

However, given his form in the third tier for Hull in their title-winning season, there was hope among Wednesdayites that the Yorkshireman could regain his mojo and record a sufficient tally of goal contributions to aid the club's promotion bid under Darren Moore.

And, whilst the South Yorkshire side were eventually able to regain their second-tier status after a dramatic campaign which saw them record 96 points in the regular season before the most dramatic of play-off campaigns against Peterborough United and Barnsley, Wilks' contributions were few and far between.

Burton Albion, as well as accumulating five assists.

Once again, the former Grimsby Town man failed to adjust to life back in the second tier with just 15 appearances, with his most recent goal for the Steel City club coming in an FA Cup encounter with Cardiff City in January 2024.

The 25-year-old is now back in the third tier with Rotherham United on loan, with the Millers surely looking at his stint at the MKM Stadium as evidence as to how the wideman's career can be revitalised after an inconsistent period.

They're not the only club to struggle to solve the Wilks conundrum. Indeed, where the attacker is concerned, Rotherham, Barnsley, and Wednesday will all look at Hull with envy.