Jermaine Jenas wants Hull City to help Jake Livermore

Jermaine Jenas has called for Hull City to provide help to Jake Livermore after the midfielder was suspended on Friday for testing positive for cocaine.

Livermore will play no part in the Tigers' must-win visit from Manchester United next week following the club-imposed sanction, but ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jenas wants to see the KC Stadium outfit offer assistance to their player.

"I've known Jake since he was a young lad, and I know deep down he's not a bad person," Jenas told BBC Sport. "You can't commend what he has done and that is a fact.

"He has gone through some very, very tough personal issues which has been hard for him. I would like to see Hull help him to some extent because it's been a tough year for the lad.

"But as I say, you just can't condone what he has done."

Meanwhile, Hull boss Steve Bruce has admitted that the whole squad have been shocked by the developments involving the England international.