Shane Long says that Steve Bruce’s renewed interest in him, five months after a proposed move to Hull City had collapsed at the last minute, was a major factor in persuading him to join the KC Stadium outfit this week.

“It showed that he really wanted me,” said the 26-year-old striker after completing his move. He has signed a three-and-a-half year deal believed to be worth about €50,000 per week. “It wasn’t a panic buy the last time, he had a lot of time to think about this decision.”

Long acknowledged he had been reluctant to leave West Brom where he and his family had been settled, but with this former club clearly inclined to sell and, he suggested, Hull in ongoing contact with his agent, “I came up here to see what they had to say and it sounded like a good opportunity for me.”

Advised on move
He becomes the fifth senior Ireland international at the club after Paul McShane, David Meyler, Robbie Brady and Stephen Quinn, all of whom, he says, advised him on the move. "I asked them about the club, the training and the manager and they all said good things."

Long goes straight into the squad and seems likely to make his Hull debut against Norwich City this afternoon.

Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill welcomed the move last night, saying: “I am sure Shane is very pleased with the move, it presents an opportunity for him to play more often and that can only be good for Shane and, by extension, us.”