Hull City have signed a player with a track record of delivering when it matters most
Kieran Dowell celebrated promotion with Birmingham City last season(Image: Getty Images)
Sergej Jakirovic has professed himself ‘pleased’ with the acquisition of Kieran Dowell from Rangers.
The 28-year-old has finally ended an underwhelming Ibrox career and signed an 18-month deal with Hull City – and he comes in with one job.
Jakirovic wants the former Everton trainee to score and set-up the goals that could turn this season’s potential and promise, into an actual Premier League position.
Dowell arrives at the MKM Stadium with his new team fourth in the table and tied on the same number as points as Ipswich Town, the side many commentators now think will go through the gears and coast to a third promotion in four seasons.
With a game in hand on top two Coventry City – who seem to be faltering – and Middlesbrough – who don’t – no-one at City should be ignore the possibility of a place in the automatic spots.
Especially given the fact the Tigers are so potent going forward, they’ve scored one more than Boro, just one less than Ipswich and while the Sky Blues have 15 more than City’s 47 goals, over the last ten games Jakirovic’s men have outscored Lampard’s 17-12.
And that’s where Dowell comes in, bringing his experience of creating and scoring in a pressurised position at a pressurised time of the season.
Dowell spent the second half of last term on loan at Birmingham City. The record books will show that Blues romped their way to the League One title – and so they did, eventually.
But at the time Dowell came in, with regular No. 10 Willum Willumsson really struggling for form, the title race was very much alive.
Birmingham were two points clear of Wycombe and not exactly wobbling but locked in a battle. The naysayers from the Rangers end were voluble.
However, he stepped into Chris Davies’ team like he’d always been there. Pulling the strings, behind the strikers, linking up with the wide players, taking up intelligent positions and demonstrating a delicate touch to pick apart defences.
In the end he scored five times in 19 League One matches and was the consistently creative force as Blues ran away with the division.
Dowell’s versatility enabled Davies to play either with two No. 10s, with Dowell on the right, or one. He even lined up as an inverted winger on occasion as Birmingham shape-shifted their way to promotion. There was talk Blues would try to bring him back permanently in the summer.
They were no doubt mindful the ex-Norwich City man had also helped the Canaries to promotion, scoring six times in 26 games as they flew to the Championship title in 2021. Dowell struck five times in his final ten matches to seal that particular deal.
His manager that season, Daniel Farke, was delighted with how he overcame injuries and restricted opportunities to make an impact and said: “It’s difficult for a creative player to be back in shape and rhythm with 10-minute cameos.
“But we’ve never doubted him. We know his ability and he’s worked unbelievably hard in training. You could literally feel he was getting sharper week to week.
“He knew this was a chance to shine and he had to grab it and convince a few doubters, and he did it in a really top-class way.”
With two promotions already on his CV, Dowell will be hoping he can add a third and that Jakirovic has pulled off another transfer masterstroke.
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