Hull City v Stoke City: Nigel Adkins relieved Tigers emerged unscathed from transfer window

The Tigers may have failed to land the additional defensive target that they would have wanted on a quiet deadline day, but Adkins will have been assuaged by the fact that the club kept true to their word and kept hold of star wingers Kamil Grosicki and Jarrod Bowen.

Grosicki was the subject of late interest from Championship rivals Middlesbrough, but Hull were not in the mood for doing any business and stuck to their guns.

For his part, Adkins believes that perspective should also be afforded as the club start February in a healthy position ahead of the run-in as they contemplate a play-off push.

Back in the dark days of mid-autumn the Tigers were countenancing a relegation battle with fans bracing themselves for the exits of key stars in the new year.

Adkins, who did complete the signing of free agent defender Liam Ridgewell, reflected: “We were bottom of the league in October and the club was going to get sold and everyone was expecting all the players to be sold and you look now, on the first of February, and you are six points off the play-offs and the whole squad has been kept together after the great run. We have added two vastly experienced players; I think everyone would have been really happy with that.

“We are top of the form table from the last 10 games we have played as we have demonstrated.

“Yes, we are in a situation with the injuries we have picked up, but all clubs have that and we have shown the threat we have got. We have played all the teams so we should not fear anything and the spirits are high. At the end of the day, this is us.”

Adkins has praised the attitude of key winger Grosicki in the face of late transfer interest, more especially from Boro.

The Pole’s attitude has been questioned for spells during his time in East Yorkshire, but Adkins has been delighted with his mindset during a potentially unsettling time.

Back at the end of the summer Grosicki saw a two-year loan move to Turkish outfit Bursapor fall through on deadline day with the 30-year-old electing to pull the plug on the transfer at the 11th hour amid reports of late interest from Sporting Lisbon.

Similar speculation has arrived in previous windows, but for Adkins it is a case of plus ca change.

Adkins added: “There was lots of speculation. It is like Brexit: once the deal is done we will know where we are. Well, we know where we are.

“There was loads of speculation about Kamil for example, he trained brilliantly (on Thursday). We have a good spirit and I think the lads realise something is going on here.

“The club put a statement out at the start of January saying no one is going and they have not.

“Yes, there was people who wanted to enquire about our players, but no one has gone, which is great.”