ANTHONY Gerrard wants to ensure Cardiff rue the day he was allowed to join Hull City by upsetting his parent club this weekend.

The 24-year-old centre-back is in line for his Tigers debut at the Cardiff City Stadium after joining on a season-long loan from the Bluebirds on transfer deadline day.

Out-of-favour under Dave Jones this season, Gerrard was a spectator to in-form Cardiff's unbeaten start to the Championship season.

But returning to South Wales in City colours on Saturday, the defender is hungry to underline his ability with a starring role for the Tigers.

"I've got a point to prove going back there," Gerrard told the Mail. "Not necessarily to anyone at Cardiff after the amount of games I played last year, but to myself.

"I want to make people sit up and ask why did I go. That's the case whenever you play against a former club.

"I'm a Hull player now and I'll be going back there in the black and amber looking to do well.

"I hope I go back there and get a good reception. I had to go where the games were and I think people will understand that.

"I'm relishing the chance to go back to Cardiff just to see how I do against my old team-mates.

"I'm sure it'll be a fascinating game for me personally, even if it is a bit strange to be going back there as a opposition player."

Gerrard's only full season with Cardiff saw their promotion push end in heartache when losing the Championship play-off final to Blackpool at Wembley.

Those bitter memories have been quickly forgotten, however, with a feel-good factor flooding the Welsh capital during the opening weeks of the new season.

The homecoming of Craig Bellamy, signed on a controversial loan from Manchester City, has inspired the Bluebirds to 10 points from their opening four games but Gerrard says the former Premier League star is not the only danger.

"The Bellamy buzz has been good for the club but he's only one player," he explained.

"He said that himself, he can't win the league on his own, he needs players around him.

"You're not going to get one player dragging the team up the league, it's team effort. If you haven't got a team around you, then you're a no one on the pitch."

Gerrard was a key figure in Cardiff's top-flight assault last season, featuring in 49 games.

Those experiences leave him well-versed in the ways of the Championship and the imposing centre-back believes team spirit is key.

He added: "At Cardiff last year we had a good morale as well, it was a massive thing for us.

"You're going to have a stage in your season where things aren't going right but that's when you stick together.

"This is more or less the same squad that came down from the Premier League with a couple of exceptions.

"The nucleus is still there of a really good squad so everything should be pointed in a positive direction.

"The manager did fantastically well with Leicester last season and he knows what it takes to succeed in this league."