Hull City complete Tom Huddlestone signing

The former England midfielder returned to East Yorkshire to train in pre-season after being released by Derby County but it quickly became clear that a more permanent reunion could suit both sides.

Huddlestone might well have signed sooner, but the complications of being under a transfer embargo have muddied the waters. Once forward Thomas Mayer left for SKU Amstetten on Monday, a deal was quickly completed.

Huddlestone has signed a one-year contract with the option for a further 12 months.

The 34-year-old, who won four England caps. played in pre-season friendlies against Scunthorpe and Manchester United Under-23s, even scoring against the young Red Devils.

Huddlestone was part of one of the most successful periods in the club's history, playing for the Tigers between 2013 and 2017, including in the 2014 FA Cup final where he played a part in both the early goals against Arsenal.

Hull qualified for Europe via that cup run, and also had their highest Premier League finish - 16th - in his time there. He also played in the 2016 Championship play-off win.

In total Huddlestone made 161 appearances, scoring eight goals.

Manager Grant McCann must now decide whether to include him in the squad for Wednesday's Championship game at home to his previous employers Derby.

“His experience and quality will be invaluable for us this season and he will certainly benefit the young players we have in our squad," said McCann.

“Having been with us now for nearly four weeks, he’s getting fitter every day and we will continue to get him sharper and fitter as the weeks go on.”