Hull City boss Steve Bruce is delighted with the team spirit within his squad.
A tight-knit unit has been improved since promotion out of the Championship last season but their evolution has been careful not to sacrifice the values that have taken City to new heights.
"Sometimes I've been blessed with good groups as a manager," Bruce told the Hull Daily Mail.
"I think of a great group I had at Birmingham for three or four wonderful years and this one reminds me of that.
"They're so close. Even the subs who are disappointed not to be playing are out there celebrating on the pitch. They desperately want to be Premier League players.
"This club has moved on so far in the last two years.
"If you consider a dark day we had at Hartlepool (in pre-season 2012) to the players we've got today, it just shows you how far.
"But we must keep on improving. Once the achievement has sunk in, it's gone. It only lasts a couple of days with me and we move on to the next one."
For breaking stories and all the great banter like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tribalfootball