DAVID Meyler will begin the Premier League season believing Hull City are capable of a mid-table finish in their first campaign back – and not just survival.
City were quickly installed as one of the bookmakers' favourites for relegation when clinching promotion as Championship runners-up in May, but Meyler gives little credence to the odds stacked against his side.
Just 10 days remain until the Tigers begin the season with a daunting trip to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea and the Republic of Ireland international has every faith in Bruce steering City well clear of trouble.
"I said to the manager after the last day of the season where we'll finish and I still stand by that," Meyler told the Mail.
"I don't think we'll be relegated, I think we'll be up in 12th or 13th. That's where I think we'll be.
"I'm confident in the team we've got and especially the manager. He's been fantastic for all of us.
"He's brought the majority of us here and sculpted his own team. We'll repay him for that and show Hull City deserve to be in the Premier League."
Meyler, who first arrived on loan from Sunderland in October before a £1.5m move in January, played a lead role in guiding City back into the top flight.
As part of a side he believes is built upon the values of togetherness, the 24-year-old sees no reason why City cannot make the step up in 2013-14.
"It's going to be the same for all the teams who have been promoted, very tough, but you look at it last season in the Premier League and any team from 11th could have been relegated," he added.
"I wouldn't just look at the teams that have come up, there'll be a lot of teams fighting to make sure they're not dragged down.
"We were underdogs all of last season. Even on the last game I don't think people remembered that we were second. We were written off completely. It was more a case of people thinking Watford would do it.
"Nobody ever gave us a chance or a glimmer of hope and we proved all of them wrong."
City's final pre-season friendly against Real Betis, the main event of Andy Dawson's testimonial, on Saturday will see the majority of Bruce's eight
summer signings feature for the first time at the KC Stadium.
Should a 4-3-3 shape that was twice used during a tour of Germany be retained, it would point towards a new-look system facing Chelsea.
Meyler believes City's new shape gives two of last season's heroes the platform to shine at a higher level.
"Robbie Brady and Sone Aluko certainly have that instinct and ability to change a game on their own," he said.
"You look at the Dresden game. Robbie Koren plays the ball into Aluko with his back to play, he skips inside someone and fires it into Yannick Sagbo's path and before you know it, we've scored. That's what the Premier League is all about, that quality.
"A few people will be surprised by some of our lads but anyone that's watched us play last season knows what we're capable of. It doesn't matter if you're playing in the Championship or the Premier League if you're playing some of the football we did."
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