Sone Aluko admits he is revelling in the opportunity to prove he belongs in the Premier League now he has finally overcome the injury woes that have blighted 2013.
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Having made his top-flight debut in the opening weekend defeat to Chelsea, the Hull City forward played his part in delivering a gallant 1-0 victory over Norwich on Saturday.
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The Tigers' first victory of the season, a credible result after the sending off of Yannick Sagbo on 27 minutes, was Aluko's first competitive appearance at the KC Stadium since January 12.
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With Achilles surgery curtailing a brilliant debut season in East Yorkshire, the 24-year-old is now keen to make up for lost time.
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"Every time I go on the pitch I feel like I need to prove myself. In football you're judged on every game," said Aluko.
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"I missed 24 games last season but even if I'd played every game, I would still have to prove myself – first of all to myself that I can play at this level. To be honest I don't care how people judge me but I want to show I can play in this league and make an impact.
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"It's great to be back playing after missing the second half of the season. To be back in the team and getting my fitness back is really exciting."
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Aluko showed flashes of the class that last season saw him touted as the best player in the Championship. One back-heeled pass to set Jake Livermore up midway through the first half had the KC Stadium in raptures.
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Once Sagbo had been dismissed, much of the fixture had Aluko utilised as a lone frontman, but he said:
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"After going down to ten men, we had to work a little bit harder, and we got our rewards.
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"I've been down to ten men a few times in my career and you just have to work harder but be clever – you can't just run around aimlessly.
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"We're always going to remember this as it's the first win. The key was the shape – it was a very professional performance."
English Premier League is known to have the greatest players in word football so everyone wants to play in that competition!