Hull City 6 Fulham 0: Huddlestone proves a cut above in making case for World Cup

Namely, the entire City squad rose to their feet and applauded the Tigers’ record signing back to his peg.

It was, the City manager insists, an entirely fitting tribute on what had been a quite remarkable 27th birthday for Huddlestone, who had not only ended a personal two-and-a-half year wait for a Premier League goal but also, quite possibly, had played himself into contention for an England recall ahead of next year’s World Cup finals.

Bruce, who will celebrate his 53rd birthday tomorrow with Hull well ahead of schedule in the fight to stay in the Premier League, said: “I have been around a long time as a player and manager, and I don’t think I have witnessed as good an individual performance. An absolute master class.

“I know that is quite a thing I am saying. But he did the lot against Fulham. He was absolutely brilliant – from passing one-twos to tackling, shooting and hitting free-kicks from 40 yards. He did the lot.

“Tom was the last in the changing room afterwards and I don’t think I have seen a group of lads stand up and applaud a team-mate like they did for him. It was quite fitting and deserved.”

Considering some of the legends Bruce played with at Old Trafford, his words are high praise, indeed. But, as the 23,925 crowd who witnessed Hull’s most convincing win in almost 20 years will surely attest, the City manager was by no means overstating just how well Huddlestone had performed against Fulham.

Even in a goalless first half, the Tigers’ record £5.25m signing was at the heart of all that was positive about the contest. He also came the closest to breaking the deadlock, his 19th-minute free-kick having crashed against a post with David Stockdale well beaten in the Londoners’ goal.

Huddlestone’s display in those opening 45 minutes suggested a City win may well be on the cards. No-one, though, can surely have believed during the interval that Hull were destined to win by a six-goal margin for the first time since Crewe Alexandra were thrashed 7-1 at Boothferry Park in October, 1994.

But that is exactly what happened as the hapless visitors were ripped apart by the Tigers. Along the way, several notable tales unfolded as Robert Koren scored twice, and Matty Fryatt and George Boyd joined an elite club who have found the net in all four divisions after breaking their respective Premier League ducks.

It was, though, Huddlestone who the day belonged to thanks to his first goal in the top flight since netting for Spurs against Arsenal in April, 2011. In the process, the midfielder also earned the right to bid farewell to his out-of-control afro hairstyle – after making a charity wager while still at White Hart Lane not to cut his hair until he next found the net.

A start was made just seconds after Huddlestone’s drought had ended on 66 minutes when, in a rehearsed routine, a City physio took a clump out of the offending afro with a pair of scissors.

The rest will follow, possibly before the New Year’s Day trip to Liverpool, in aid of Cancer Research and Bruce believes the soon-to-be shorn midfielder must be in with a good shout of forcing his way into Roy Hodgson’s World Cup plans.

“It will be hot in Brazil,” said the City manager when asked if Huddlestone can add to his three previous caps, which came during the build-up to the 2010 World Cup. “So you need people who can technically take the ball. It won’t be fast and furious, and it is going to be not like England play.

“Instead, we will have to play at a certain tempo because of the heat. There is always a surprise but it would not surprise me if he went because there are not many producing as well as he is.”

Whether Huddlestone can become the first Hull player to win an England cap while at the club remains to be seen. But what is not in doubt is his value to them.

After hitting the post with that exquisite first-half free-kick, he really turned on the style after the interval.

City’s first goal, a fine finish by Ahmed Elmohamady, came from Huddlestone’s corner. Their second on the hour also involved the former Spurs man, it being his incisive pass that found Yannick Sagbo, who then rolled an inviting cross for Koren to score.

Boyd added the third with a fine finish across former City loanee goalkeeper Stockdale before Huddlestone’s big moment arrived on 66 minutes courtesy of a drilled effort from the edge of the area.

Clearly buoyed by that, Huddlestone then attempted an ambitious 40-yard free-kick that Stockdale could only touch onto the crossbar and Fryatt swooped to prod in the rebound.

Koren then completed the rout five minutes from time after Stockdale had denied Danny Graham to end what had already been a year to savour for City on the ultimate high.

It also represented a dream birthday for Huddlestone, who said: “The goal has been a long time coming and it was getting frustrating.

“A few of my mates watch ‘Match of the Day’ and they had said I’d had the most shots in the league without scoring a goal. It is a stat that someone is going to have – but you don’t want it to be yourself. I’ve obviously got that out of the way now.

“I think the lads are more pleased than me, though, as it means they can get my hair out of the changing room. I’ll try and get it cut before New Year’s Day.

“Mind, it feels a bit strange already. I think the physio has cut a little bit too much out in the celebration.”

Hull City: McGregor, Rosenior, Chester, Davies, Figueroa, Elmohamady (McShane 77), Livermore (Graham 73), Huddlestone, Boyd; Koren, Sagbo (Fryatt 68). Unused substitutes: Bruce, Meyler, Harper, Faye.

Fulham: Stockdale, Zverotic, Hughes, Amorebieta, Riise, Karagounis (Richardson 75), Sidwell, Ruiz (Kacaniklic 60), Kasami, Dejagah (Bent 64), Rodallega. Unused substitutes: Boateng, Riether, David, Bettinelli.

Referee: R Madley (West Yorkshire).