ROBERT SNODGRASS stood out from the rest of the Hull City players who emerged from their Wembley dressing room late into Saturday evening in that he was carrying a bottle of water.

Everyone else had beer, some had beer and champagne, and then the lad from Glasgow lets everyone down, including his home town it must be said, by staying away from the hard stuff when it is the one time footballer are allowed to get really, really drunk.

The lack of booze is not the only thing which makes this footballer just a bit different from the rest.

Read more: Celtic fan Robert Snodgrass - it would be difficult to leave Hull even if Parkhead comes calling

Snodgrass has some story and he tells it with honesty, openness and not a hint of bitterness about the bad times. Those include 18 months out with a serious knee injury which came in his first ever appearance for Hull City in the Premier League following a £7million move from Leeds United.

Talk about bad luck.

However, Snodgrass, one of the good guys, wore a smile as wide as the Clyde after playing his part in Hull's defeat of Sheffield Wednesday in what became known as the £200m play-off final, the winner taking home promotion to the Premier League and quite a few pounds.

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You could tell the money side of things has no interest to Snodgrass. It is all about football, family and making those close to him proud. It also showed him that the sacrifices which have to be made to cut it at the to level, and he's made more than his fair share, were worth it.

“That is where you want to be," said Snodgrass who couldn't stop grinning despite being the last player out of the dressing room because he was picked for a drug test.

"That is the reason you live away from home, to better yourself and play the best possible level. I don’t like being away from my family, I genuinely don’t. But I am because I want to play at the top and you need to make sacrifices to get there. I have done that and it's paid off.

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“That is the best way to get promotion. At the end I couldn’t control my arms it was so crazy. It is a dream come true. We got two chances after missing out on automatic promotion. That’s what I said to the other players; 'Lads, it’s not often you get two chances in life. We let the first one go, don’t let the second one go because we would have so much regret.’

“I didn’t want that regret, I didn’t want my family to have to pick me up.

“Everything I do is for my family. When you have kids you sometimes have to do things you don’t want to but every single thing I do is for my family. I am just a lucky lad from Glasgow with a bonus that I get paid for something I love.

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“I want to have a rest now because I haven’t switched off in two years and that’s the honest truth. I didn’t have summer last year, I haven’t had one single beer during that time and for a lad from Glasgow that is quite a tough thing.

"That might be my biggest achievement. Some of my family and mates think I’ve gone insane."

Snodgrass admitted that when he did make it up to the box where his family and that of fellow Scot Andy Robertson had watched the game, that is when it hit home what has just happened to him.

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"When I saw my mum Irene and dad Stephen, for them to be there when they don’t actually leave Parkhead to be honest with you, that was amazing," he said. "They were crying, I was crying, it was very emotional. My missus, Denise, is pregnant, and that was great.

“It has been a journey for me, a chapter, and I wanted to get through the full process. I did that and lifted that trophy.

"Do you know what? To do it when all your family are there, who don’t get to any of the games, and friends who I have grown up with from school, for them to watch me lift a trophy and to know what I have been through, the emotions were all over the place. It was one of the happiest days I’ve had over the last two-and-a-half years.”

Journey was a word he used a lot. Hopefully he only has good times ahead. Snodgrass couldn't even run this time last year so bad was the knee. To make matters worse, Hull got relegated on the last day of last season with their big summer signing sitting in the stand utterly unable to help.

It was then Snodgrass made a pledge to himself. He said: "When I was out I would sit behind the dugout to watch the games, watching the lads slip lower and lower down the table in the Premier League.

“And the when it was confirmed we were down, Newcastle won to relegate us, that day I made a promise to myself I would do everything I could to get this club back in the Premier League."

They did that and deservedly do. Mo Diame's excellent goal was the only one of the game; however, Hull were by far the better side.

The only downside was that Steve Bruce having the audacity to substitute Snodgrass who had plenty to say for himself as he came off the field.

"I was gutted because I thought I was just getting in the game," Snodgrass admitted. "However, that is why he is in the hot seat. He’s the main man and I wouldn’t like him to lose his temper. So he kept his cool. I wanted to win the game and felt I had a lot more left in the tank.

“He made a decision which is best for the team, you have to respect that. He and I were in the dressing room having a laugh and a joke. He’s a top manager and a top guy. The celebrations were sensational.”

Even on the aqua rather than the alcohol.