Signed for a fee of £175,000 two weeks before his 24th birthday, the Tigers fought off reported interest from Kilmarnock, Millwall, Luton Town, Dunfermline Athletic and Derby County to clinch Stuart's signature.

The talented left-sided forward shot prominence as a part-timer for Glentoran in the Smirnoff Irish Premiership having joined the Belfast club as a 16 year-old. He won three caps at Under-21 level for Northern Ireland before giving up his job as a window cleaner to sign full time with Motherwell in July 2000 in a £100,000 deal.

A man of strong religious beliefs, Stuart made tremendous progress in his first season in the Scottish Premier League and made his senior international debut against Malta in September 2000 and, as he continued to impress in Scotland, has since featured regularly for his country.

Although a firm favourite at Fir Park, Stuart became a victim of Motherwell's financial plight as it came to a head in May 2002 when they went into administration.

Stuart has since added a potent attacking threat down the Tigers' left flank. He is most effective when running at defenders and pulling back quality crosses from the by-line. Despite not being the tallest of players, he has tremendous jumping ability which also gives him the chance to regularly display his superb heading technique.

Despite a generally disappointing 2002-03 campaign for the team, he finished his first Tigers season as our top scorer with 12 goals.

Stuart once again reached a double-figure goals tally in 2003-04 and, with him receiving much greater attacking support, the Tigers acheived their goal of promotion from Division Three.

His valuable contribution was even more laudable as Stuart 'played through' the first three months of the season despite being hampered by a mystery virus; a complaint that was to return in March.

Back to full fitness, Stuart enjoyed an absolutely sensational 2004-05 season. Not only did the Tigers claim their second successive promotion but, in their centenary season, he fell only one goal short of becoming the seventh Tiger to score 30 goals in a season.

Having become only the second City player to hit 20 goals before the turn of the year, Stuart would surely have passed the 30 mark had he not been sidelined for over six weeks after suffering a broken cheekbone against Huddersfield Town on New Year's Day, and also missing four games whilst on international duty.

It is an astonishing fact that City won all of the 17 games (in which he scored 17 goals) that he started between the defeat at Swindon Town in November until the Robins draw at the KC Stadium in April - the game when promotion was confirmed.

The top scorer in League One was selected in the PFA Team of the Year.

2005-06 was, inevitably, not to be so spectacular but that's not to say it was not another incredible term in the Elliott story.

Stuart was again City's leading scorer, was named the BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Sports Personality of the Year and scored the Tigers' Goal of the Season with the winner at Plymouth Argyle in August.

On the international scene, he scored against Azerbaijan in Northern Ireland's first competitive win for four years and became a member of the never-to-be-forgotten NI team that beat England in September for the first time since 1927.

Stuart's contract was extended to June 2008 in June 2006.

He suffered a mixed start to the 2006-07 with the cuase of his inconsistent form finally discovered to be an exercise-induced form of asthma.

Having responded to the correct medication, Stuart progressed to become third in the list of the most-capped players in Hull City's history.

STUART ELLIOTT FACTFILE

Born: Belfast 23 July 1978
Height: 5ft 10 ins. Weight: 11^st 9lbs

Honours: Northern Ireland full (37 caps and 4 goals, as at 27 March 2008), B and Under-21 international.

Career:

Glentoran (signed 1 July 1994)
Appearances 118 full + 44 sub / 51 goals

Motherwell (£100,000 on 20 July 2000)
SPL 50 full + 20 sub / 22 goals
Scottish FA Cup 1 full + 1 sub / 1 goal
Scottish FL Cup 2 full + 1 sub / 0 goals

Club Career Total (up to joining Hull City, and excluding games for Glentoran)
53 full + 22 sub / 23 goals