Michael Dawson hoping Steve Bruce will stay on Hull City mission

But the former international defender was also at pains to stress yesterday that he hopes the 55-year-old will remain at the KCOM Stadium to lead next season’s fight for Premier League survival.

The Tigers’ chief has been touted as a potential successor to Roy Hodgson with the Football Association understood to be considering him along with a host of other candidates that include Sam Allardyce and Jurgen Klinsmann.

“I think he (Bruce) warrants being linked with the job,” said Dawson when speaking to The Yorkshire Post at Hull’s training camp in Portugal.

“He is the only manager to have won four promotions to the Premier League, he is English – which I hope we go with – and I can certainly see why he is getting the recognition. He deserves it but I certainly hope he stays with Hull City.

“It was massive to see the manager was staying (after Bruce indicated in the wake of Hull’s play-off final triumph that he was undecided on his future). For me personally, but also the group and the football club.

“He was a big part of me coming here. His record speaks for itself and he is a great guy. He is a manager this group of players love working for. I certainly believe he can keep us up.”

Whether the FA will opt for an Englishman remains to be seen with the top jobs in the Premier League invariably having gone to foreign managers in recent years.

Not for nothing did Allardyce once quip: “I won’t ever be going to a top-four club because I am not called Allardici, just Allardyce.”

Dawson, however, believes the Three Lions should be led by an Englishman.

“You look at the English managers like Sam Allardyce, Harry Redknapp and the gaffer, they have done it for years and years,” said the 32-year-old, capped four times by England.

“They have got the games under their belt and the experience of a lot of years. Not just that, they have done unbelievably well in their careers as managers. I hope an Englishman is in charge.”

Bruce, for his part, is focusing on the task of making Hull competitive ahead of what is likely to be an incredibly tough top flight next season.

Hull are one of only four Premier League clubs yet to make a signing but talks are at an advanced stage with free agent Hal Robson-Kanu, hero of Wales’ run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, and Bordeaux defender Lamine Sane.

The French club are understood to want around £3m for 29-year-old Sane, while Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ryan Mason is also on Bruce’s wishlist.

Long-term injuries to Allan McGregor and Alex Bruce mean the Tigers, ideally, are looking to bring in six new faces before the season gets under way with a home clash against champions Leicester City on August 13.

On the prospect of returning to the top table of English football, Dawson said: “The day we drew at the KC (against Manchester United) on the final weekend (of 2014-15) to go down, it was the worst feeling in my career.

“We knew how hard it was going to be to come back up. I remember sitting at the training ground (last summer) wondering who was going to stay and who was going to leave.

“The manager and the owner did fantastically well to keep the squad together. Thankfully, we repaid them and we are back where they all wanted to be.”

Dawson, in common with his team-mates, was once again put through a couple of tough training sessions yesterday at the Penina Hotel & Golf Resort.

Bruce has brought his squad to the same complex in four of his five pre-seasons at Hull and sees the trip as crucial in terms of preparing for the demands of a long season.

“Pre-season never gets any easier,” added Dawson about the sessions that have taken place in the morning and early evening of the past eight days to avoid the punishing Algarve sun. “It never will because they work you until you are struggling.

“But the work is invaluable. The Premier League is probably tougher than ever. Teams have got even more money to sign better players. Look at Manchester United and Manchester City this summer, the money (they have spent) is massive.

“You have to improve, you have to spend money. Obviously not the money of the big clubs, who are on different levels. But our aim is to stay in the Premier League like Watford and Bournemouth.

“You would never have said Leicester could win the league 12 months ago, no chance. But, credit to them for the togetherness they had.

“We know it will be a tough season but we have to stick together through the hard times. There will be hard times, we know that. But you have to show mental strength playing at the highest level.”