Hull’s hungry boss nibbles Spurs captain in ‘greedy’ quest

Steve Bruce

With Steve Bruce’s Hull City summer spending spree far from complete, he reveals he has two or three more signings lined up but admits to playing the waiting game with Tottenham captain Michael Dawson.

The Tigers boss must be enjoying his job at Hull City. A successful 2013/2014 Premier League campaign (well, they didn’t get relegated)… along with leading side to the FA Cup final in May and securing a place in their first ever Europa League tournament, are all things to have put the club in a strong position for the new season ahead.

Hull’s financial standing has been further-maximised today by the announcement of their biggest ever kit sponsorship deal – a seven-figure agreement – with Asian bookmakers 12Bet.

Flourished with funds, the 53-year-old coach is enjoying a fruitful summer adorned with new player signings and feels safe in the knowledge he is building a strong team of players that are ‘as good as any side this club has ever had.’

Fresh through the door of the KC Stadium, Tigers midfield trio Jake Livermore, 24, Robert Snodgrass, 26 and flair player Tom Ince, 22, have jumped straight in with the Hull first team on their pre-season training in Portugal and with money still left in the kitty, Bruce is hungry for more.

“We’re as well-equipped as we’ve ever been. It’s an excellent squad, it’s got to be as good as any side this club has ever had,” he told Hull Daily Echo this week.

“We haven’t got a lot of numbers, but I’m really content with what we’ve done.

“To have secured Jake and brought in Tom Ince and Robert Snodgrass, that shows how far we’re progressing as a club.

“A manager is always greedy. Ideally we’d still like another two or three in, especially with what we’ve got ahead in Europe.”

With Bruce satisfied he has sufficiently strengthened his attack-force, he is now looking to bolster the side defensively and is targeting Sheffield United’s Harry Maguire, Dundee United centre-back Andy Robertson and Tottenham’s Michael Dawson.

Dawson is the star prize. At the age of 30 and having played for a top Premier League side for nine years he has Europa League experience under his belt along with time served in the highest ranks of the beautiful game – the England national team.

With a year left to run on his contract the Spurs skipper is proving difficult to wrap up, but Bruce remains optimistic he will seize him from the north Londoners in the near future.

“Michael I’ve always liked,” he said, “there’s no disputing that. But at the end of the day he’s Tottenham’s captain with time left on his contract.

“It’s difficult but it’s something we’ve had a nibble at. We’ll see if it happens.”