STEVE BRUCE HAS praised Paul McShane for “taking his chance” with a fine performance in Hull’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Saturday.
The Irish defender, who is the club’s longest serving player, fell out with the Tigers manager earlier in the season and his days looked numbered after he was forced to train with the U21s for airing his grievances on Twitter.
However, Wicklow native McShane made a rare start in the Hull team, only his second since November, for the trip to the Etihad over the weekend and put in an excellent 90 minutes as international team-mate David Meyler scored before James Milner earned the current Premier League champions a share of the spoils.
And Bruce had this to say about the 29-year-old afterwards.
“You can’t fault ever Paul McShane and his attitude everytime he goes on the pitch,” Bruce told Tiger TV. “He gives you everything he has got time after time.
“That makes him the cult hero he is because the supporters associate with him. They forgive a mistake because they see the effort and endeavour.
The problem – as I’ve said and repeated and I can understand – is when I don’t pick him he gets like a young, angry man.
“He has taken his chance. He took the punishment on the chin. There has been no grudge — I’ve picked him ahead of the captain today and he has put in a wonderful performance. Good for him.”
Former Manchester United youth player McShane, who has been at the club since 2009, admitted that he believed his Hull career was over before adding that he is now looking to the future.
“To be honest, no I didn’t but there is always hope,” he said. ”You can’t hold grudges in football, it is such a short career. You have got to make peace with the past when you move forward.”
