1. Hume happy at Prenton Park homecoming
Enter your e-mail for our daily newsletter Subscribe
By Nick Hughes
Iain Hume feels like he has ‘come home’ to Prenton Park following his return in the
January transfer window despite a near 10 year absence in a Tranmere Rovers shirt.
Hume first ran out for the Super Whites at the tender age of 16 years 167 days against
Swindon before going on to score 37 goals in 177 appearances.
In the years since he has turned out for title challenging sides in the Championship and
League One before his greatest adventure to the Indian Super League with the Kerala
Blasters last year and was voted the best player in the league amongst legends of the
game.
Hume has returned to Wirral and found his former side in a position they did not
experience during his time at the club but despite this, his love for the team has not
wavered.
“It’s always been a a club that I’ve stated I’d love to come back to before my career’s
finished. They gave me the opportunity after meeting with the chairman and the manager
and it was an easy decision to make.”
Hume’s success in India came to an end before the Christmas break leaving the 31-year-
old Canadian without a team so his objective was to find a club until the end of the
season at least to keep playing and remain fit.
Most importantly, Hume wanted to be somewhere he would feel happy and that place is
Tranmere despite offers from League 1 which would have required extensive travel and
moving away from family which was ‘the last thing I wanted to do.’
“The way things have been going recently, they’ve changed since the manager’s come in
[so] it’s definitely a place I want to be a part of right now and, fingers crossed, I can add a
IainHumethrilledtogobackforthefutureatTranmereRovers
Share Tweet +1 LinkedIn2 Shares
Iain Hume fires in his second goal and a winner for Tranmere against Torquay

2. bit of experience and quality and hopefully I can help out with the run they’re on at the
moment.”
Hume departed the Wirral side in 2005 for Leicester to challenge for honours in the
Championship before stints with Barnsley, Preston, Doncaster and Fleetwood.
Now he has come back and will even don the number 34 shirt – the number in which he
began his career with Rovers.
“I’m going back to where I started, and when I looked down the list with Mick Horton,
number 34 was available so why not have a second début with number 34? I’m over the
moon regardless of what number I am. 34 – I’m back to where I started, literally right back
to where I started.”
Like Jason Koumas and Steve Jennnings before him, Hume has returned to Prenton Park to
add to his illustrious history with the club – a club he describes as family.
“It’s home isn’t it? The club gave me my chance in football. I live two minutes away. It’s
Iain Hume in action for Leicester City against Stoke

3. the first club since I left Tranmere that I’ve not had to drive an hour, hour and half to get
to training every day.
“Even in the back-room staff you’ve still got Shaun Garnett here, you’ve got Warwick
Rimmer here. I know they changed a lot of it but regardless of who’s in and who’s out the
feeling is always the same, it’s always a family club – it’s always a very close knit club –
and they work together and everybody knows everybody and I think that’s the best way, in
my eyes.
“It’s a club that’s very close together and they all work together and everybody knows
each other and I think that makes it easier for people to come in.
“New signings, obviously within a couple you’ll know the lads that you’re working with but
behind the scenes it’s nice to know the people that are doing favours for you, doing things
for you and helping you out.
“I think that’s one of the main things that makes people come back and that’s one of the
reasons I’m back because I know it’s a place that I will feel at home.”
After coming so close to promotion and a strong cup run with Rovers, Hume feels he has
plenty of time yet to give the Super Whites and is ‘no where near hanging them up.’
“Out in India I’ve had good four months, I’ve played really well out there and I’ve kept
myself fit and I’ve played, essentially, every game out there.
“I’m coming back OK, I’ve got to catch up to the pace of the game that the lads have been
setting and the way the manager wants to play but I don’t think I’m too far away from
pushing for a spot.”
Looking ahead to his second début and today’s game against Carlisle, Hume is itching to
go and promises to do his best to push the team up the table and away from relegation.
“I’m looking forward to it, that’s the reason I’m back – I’m here to play games, I’m here to
enjoy myself, I’m here to play in front of people I know and family and to do the best I
can. I’m going to do everything I can to bring success for myself and for the club.
“Bring on Carlisle; hopefully we can bring the fans back out because I remember when I
left we were getting nine and ten thousands every home game.
“It’s changed a lot and I understand that and obviously success brings in the crowds, so we
just need to be successful and win games at home and get ourselves up the table and the
crowds will follow.”
ViewfromtheOpposition

4. Carlisle manager Keith Curle has praised the appointment of Micky Adams at Tranmere
and expects a hard-working opponent in a ‘toe-to-toe encounter.’
A goal by former Rovers loanee, David Amoo, sealed a 1-0 victory in Curle’s first game in
charge at Brunton Park in a tight meeting to earn the first league win in 15 attempts.
Curle knows what to expect from a Micky Adams side and feels his Carlisle team will be a
match for Rovers with their hard-working and fighting spirit in today’s bottom of the table
scrap.
“Micky’s got a reputation of being hard-working, physical, not giving an inch and in today’s
game they will come up against a team that will mirror that in ourselves.
The Carlisle manager fully expects a battle from the Super Whites but insists the
Cumbrian side are fully prepared for a fight and the unpredictable nature of the league.
“We won’t ask for any inches or quarters, we’re prepared to go toe-to-toe with anybody in
this division.
“It’s not a six-pointer. You only get three points, and there will still be 17 games to go,
lots of points to play for, lots of twists and turns.”
Curle took charge in September found a side in a similar position to Tranmere when
Adams took over and feels his opponent have done well with their appointment.
“Micky is similar to myself in that he’s taken over a club that was on the slide, that’s got
tradition and is used to playing at a higher level.
“Sometimes there needs to be a change of culture, a new direction and leadership. As an
appointment I think they’ve done very well.”
There is great respect between both managers for their squads but come this afternoon,
all will be forgotten as Curle will seek to take advantage of weaknesses in Rovers’ game.
“We’ve looked at Tranmere and will take them on their merits. They’ve got good strengths,
a good directness in their play, good willingness, good energy levels, good footballers in
certain key areas, but they’ve got weaknesses.”
Curle knows Tranmere are benefiting from Adams’ qualities with their recent unbeaten run
CarlislemanagerKeithCurle

5. but demands his side must do their job for this crucial clash.
“Mobility, pace, speed, aggression. They’ve got areas we can exploit but we’ve got to do
our job first of all. I think it will be a toe-to-toe encounter.”
Follow @LivEchonews
Also on the Echo
Promoted Stories
Recommended by
0 Comments Liverpool Echo Login1
Share⤤ Sort by Best
Start the discussion…
Be the first to comment.
Subscribe✉ Add Disqus to your sited Privacy
Recommend
Click here to view our community standards
Liverpool Echo
News
857,563Like
Follow 44k
LFC Transfer Gossip: Rui
Patricio swoop, City eye
£30m…
#LFC transfer rumours:
Reds close in on Firmino,
plus…
Liverpool youngster
Teixeira facing lengthy
lay off after…
Liverpool transfer
rumours: Reds handed
Zlatan Ibrahimovic…
Liverpool can complete
controversial swap deal
to stun…
(GiveMeSport)
Marouane Fellaini
reveals this was David
Moyes' problem at…
(GiveMeSport)
Brendan Rodgers
sanctions deal that will
break hearts at…
(GiveMeSport)
Adult Film Stars Reveal
What They Really Look
Like
(Answers.com)
Liverpool stars ‘tore
strips’ off Brendan
Rodgers after he…
(Give Me Sport)
Liverpool ready to sign
‘Europe’s best striker’
(The Sports Mash)
Have A Gander At Klay
Thompson's New
Girlfriend
(AllRookie)
Man Utd striker reveals
he’s at ‘rock bottom’
(The Sports Mash)