The cultured playmaker joined City on an 18-month deal last week
Kieran Dowell made his Hull City late on in the win over Swansea City(Image: Alfie Cosgrove/News Images)
Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic believes Kieran Dowell will bring the quality and experience needed to guide the Tigers through the critical final weeks of the Championship season.
The 28-year-old made his debut off the bench in the final stages of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Swansea City, which cemented the Tigers’ place inside the top six, and he even found time in added time to collect a yellow card to cap his first outing at the MKM Stadium in black and amber.
His arrival was completed on Friday and announced late in the evening ahead of City’s third win in the space of a week, which moved them onto 50 points after just 28 games.
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City have a game in hand on Middlesbrough, who currently sit second, and will face Watford at the MKM Stadium next Tuesday after they visit struggling Blackburn Rovers this weekend, knowing they could close the gap to two points with 16 games left.
Dowell has amassed more than a century of appearances in the Championship and has experience of winning the league during his time at Norwich City, while he was part of the Birmingham City squad that won the League One title last term.
Jakirovic hopes Dowell’s experience of what it takes to get out of this league will add to the vast experience already in the squad with his former Blades teammates John Lundstram and John Egan.
“Glasgow is so far away from Hull, so you know a pigeon is coming with the papers. It’s unbelievable. You are on the team sheet, and you don’t know if you will play or not because of the registration,” Jakirovic joked of the late announcement last Friday night, before going on to express his delight at the playmaker’s qualities.
“I’m very pleased because I think he’s a very good player,” the Croatian continued. “Injury may have stopped him for a while (at Rangers), but with his experience, with his profile, no adaptation, which is very important in the transfer window of January, I think he can improve this team.”
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