CURTIS Davies says the opportunity to learn and improve under Steve Bruce in the Premier League meant joining Hull City was the easiest decision he's made.
Davies has now signed a three-year contract with the Tigers after passing his medical, with the
defender arriving from Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee, understood to be around £2.25m.
Aware that City boss Bruce had been tracking him for a number of years, Davies says the attraction of playing for him was massive, with the 28-year-old confident he'll be able to take his game to the next level at the KC Stadium.
"Steve was the difference between having a decision to make and this really being a no-brainer for me," Davies told the Mail.
"I know Steve has liked me for a number of years and I know he doesn't want to change my game, which is great for me. He's done it as a manager and he was a great defender who played at the highest level.
"He's one of the best for me to learn from and I believe I can become better playing under him. Obviously, playing in the Premier League was a big factor too, but the chance to play under Steve was too hard to turn down."
The arrival of Davies is likely to complete Bruce's plans for his defensive reshuffle ahead of City's Premier League return, with Maynor Figueroa arriving from Wigan on a free transfer.
Like the Honduran international, Davies adds Premier League experience to the Tigers after spells in the top flight with West Brom, Aston Villa and Birmingham.
The London-born central defender, who started his career at Luton Town, believes his experience can help City make the difficult transition from the Championship to the top flight.
But with that experience comes the knowledge of how treacherous the road ahead will be to secure survival.
"It is a massive challenge for the club, but regardless of your squad the new boys will always be favourites to go down," added Davies.
"It is up to us to change that perception and we will do that through our performances. We will be underdogs in nearly every game but that can work in your favour.
"This is an ambitious club, if we stay together as a group, work hard and give everything we can, then we can give it a really good go."
Davies says he's heard nothing but good reports regarding the team unity and morale at the Tigers, something he will sample first hand on July 4 when he reports for pre-season training.
The defender had been due to report for the start of pre-season with Birmingham on Monday but was given permission to be absent to finalise his move to City.
Having been preparing to start this week, he hopes to hit the ground running upon his arrival at his new club.
"I've got 10 days to get ready for training now, but I was already prepared to start and I've been back running for the last couple of weeks so I'll be fit when we start," he explained.
"That's important because while I know the manager likes me, I have to impress my new team-mates straight away and earn their trust.
"As a central defender it is important to have that trust and respect of the rest of the players so they know they can depend on you.
"I want to lead by example and try to be a captain out there, even if I'm not wearing the armband."
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