Steve Bruce optimistic following signings

Hull City boss Steve Bruce has admitted that he is full of optimism for the rest of the season following his signings on transfer deadline day.

The Tigers added Mohamed Diame, Abel Hernandez, Gaston Ramirez and Hatem Ben Arfa to their squad on the final day of the transfer window, as the club seek to improve on their 16th-place finish of the last campaign.

Bruce told the club's official website: "It feels like the season is starting again, especially after what happened on deadline day.

"To bring in four players, albeit two or three of those were pretty much done and dusted before deadline day, was fantastic and the chairman made the funds available to do it. With the loss of Shane Long and Robert Snodgrass, it was vitally important that we invested well and certainly on paper it looks as though we have done.

"However, the proof is always in the pudding and we now have to go and perform to the level we expect to stay in this division."

Hull face West Ham United in their Premier League clash on Monday.