Bruce delighted at return to form for Hull defender Davies

The 30-year-old joined the Tigers in the summer of 2013 following the Yorkshire club’s promotion to the Premier League.

As captain, Davies led Hull to not only safety but also a first appearance in the FA Cup final amid calls in some quarters for a possible England call-up.

Last season, however, was a very different story with a loss of form being followed by the former Aston Villa and Blues defender being frozen out from February onwards.

It was a chastening experience and one that led Davies to seriously question his future at the KC Stadium. Now, though, things have turned round with a new contract understood to be almost agreed to tie him at the club beyond the expiry of his current deal this summer.

“He is playing very well, like the Curtis we saw in his first year here,” said Bruce, who will also return to an old stomping ground tomorrow night when the Tigers take on Birmingham in front of the live Sky cameras.

“For one reason or another, it didn’t quite happen for him or the team last season. The great thing about football is that you have always got the opportunity to put it right.

“To be fair to Curtis, he is back to playing very, very well.

“That is good to see. The so-called bust-ups or fall-outs, and all the rest of it, I am sure he has got his own tale to tell but, at the end of the day, he has knuckled down and got on with playing well.”

Davies is one of several Hull players in the final months of their existing deals.

Negotiations are continuing with not only the club’s former captain but also Ahmed Elmohamady and Tom Huddlestone as Hull look to secure similar extensions to those agreed recently with David Meyler and Allan McGregor.

Asked about the progress of those talks, Bruce added: “I have left all the things with contracts to others but it is the same difficulty that we have always had, where we don’t know what division we will be in next season.

“That is an issue in all of this but it might be the case that it goes to the summer now,” said Bruce.

“At least then we will know where we are going to be next season.

“That maybe helps all parties, who knows. Just because it goes to the summer, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of Tom or Curtis or Elmo.”

Hull discovered yesterday that another of their fixtures – at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers – has been selected for live transmission. It will now be played on Friday, April 15 with a 7.45pm kick-off, a day earlier than scheduled.