Devin Hester will return punts and kicks in his debut for the Seattle Seahawks against the Detroit Lions in a wild-card game Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed the role for the newly signed specialist in his Thursday press conference.

“He’s done fine, he just jumped right out,” Carroll said. “He was battling yesterday at practice. He looked fast and quick and confident and all of that. He did everything he could.”

Return specialist has been a need for the Seahawks since losing Tyler Lockett to injured reserve. The team has tried various players at the spot but finally settled on a dedicated returner.

“The fact that Tyler wasn’t back there was obvious, and he’s been a great fixture for us,” Carroll said. “We wanted to have, if we could, a guy that you have to respect and take care of. This guy (Hester) is as good as you can find and he happened to be out there. His numbers are ridiculous, and his history is extraordinary.

“He was ready to go, so we jumped on it.”

Hester’s numbers are “ridiculous” as Carroll said, having logged more impressive stats at the position than nearly anyone in recent history. At 34, and in his 11th season in the NFL, Hester is nearing the end of his career, but Carroll was willing to give him a shot.

“Everybody that we had here that was going to go did not have a lot of background or experience,” Carroll said. “We felt like it was really important to get the experience and the decision-making. A guy that’s been there and played in weather and all that kind of stuff his whole career, I think we’re very fortunate to get him.”