Honduran Figueroa happy to be reunited with Hull chief Bruce

The 30-year-old is a familiar face to Tigers manager Steve Bruce, who also signed him when he was in charge of the Latics in 2008.

Figueroa has agreed a two-year deal with Hull, who won promotion to the Premier League by finishing second in the Championship last season.

Talks between Figueroa and the club have been ongoing since the Honduras international’s contract with relegated Wigan expired.

He is Hull’s second signing of the summer following George Boyd, whose loan move from Peterborough was made permanent last month.

Figueroa is delighted to be reunited with Bruce, the man who brought him to English football.

“When the team were playing the final few games in the Championship, I paid close attention to the results because I wanted Steve Bruce to achieve promotion,” he said. “I was happy for him to earn the success. He is a great manager and I’m looking forward to working with him again. It is a big challenge for me, but it’s certainly one I’m looking forward to.”

Figueroa admits he had considered the possibility of a move to the KC Stadium as soon as they sealed their place in the top flight on the final day of the season, a 2-2 draw against league winners Cardiff.

He added: “I watched the Cardiff game and after the final whistle I turned to my wife and said, ‘Hull could be an option for me next season’.”

Bruce, who has a transfer budget of between £10m-£15m, will turn his focus to adding a goalkeeper and a centre-forward to his squad.

Hull and Leicester have so far been unable to agree a fee for Kasper Schmeichel, leaving Bruce to run the rule over the likes of Allan McGregor, Ross Turnbull and Costel Pantilimon, while Celtic’s Gary Hooper is a target up front.

England women’s team manager Hope Powell feels her 23-strong squad of youth and experience can make a real impact at next month’s European Championship in Sweden.

Rachel Brown and Kelly Smith will be heading into their sixth major tournament, while the likes of captain Casey Stoney, Arsenal forward Smith, Fara Williams and Rachel Yankey all have more than a century of caps.

Liverpool duo Gemma Bonner and Lucy Bronze are the only two uncapped players within the squad.

England, who lost to Germany at the last senior European finals, will play two friendly matches before their opening match on July 12 against Spain, tackling world champions Japan at Burton 
Albion’s Pirelli Stadium on June 26 and then hosts Sweden in a friendly on July 4 in Uddevalla.