Former Tranmere Rovers centre-back Clint Hill is confident that Micky Mellon’s side can secure themselves a back-to-back promotion when they contest the Sky Bet League Two Play-Off Final with Newport County at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Tranmere return to the home of English football for a third year in a row after overcoming Forest Green Rovers in the semi-finals over two legs, winning 2-1 on aggregate to progress to the Final, with a place in Sky Bet League One awaiting the winners of the clash against Michael Flynn’s Exiles.
Hill, 40, who is currently assistant manager to Joey Barton at Fleetwood Town, came through TRFC’s youth system and would go on to make 140 first-team league appearances between 1997-2002 in both the First and Second Division.
The Huyton-native believes Tranmere are capable of another promotion-winning campaign to mirror the success of their Vanarama National League Play-Off Final triumph last May.
Hill said: “It’s been a brilliant season really since they came up from the National League last year, going all the way to the Play-Offs and winning it, going down to 10 men as well, so they have carried on that momentum of winning games and brought it into League Two and they hit the ground running.
“I’ve watched a few games, four or five games live, and they have adapted really well to the league, they have some really good players and now obviously going into that Final game of the season with everything on the line, I fancy them to do it again.
“It’s the third time (in a Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium) in three years, they’ve had that experience of winning and losing there so hopefully it will be a good day on Saturday.
“They know the emotions, they know how to treat the day, they know what the Wembley pitch is like, they know the occasion, so I think in that respect, Tranmere hold an advantage.
“Tranmere just need to go there and play their normal game like they have done all season and hopefully they’ll come out with the right result.
“To go and get two promotions on the bounce hopefully is something special so they’ve put themselves in a great position to go and do that, now they just need to go and execute it and give 110% and hopefully get the right result at the end of the day.”
Hill also knows how important the SWA will be in roaring Mellon’s lads on under the Wembley Stadium arch on Saturday.
He added: “The crowd coming back to 7,000, 8,000, 9,000 for the last few games is fantastic support.
“I can only speak from my previous time here and how much of a big role they (the SWA) played for us in special cup games and especially here, 17,000 fans right behind you.
“I’m sure there’s 36 coaches going down on the day as well and there will be another fantastic turnout by the Tranmere fans and I’m sure they’ll be loud and proud again and push the boys over the line hopefully.”