Steve Bruce admits he thought long and hard about taking the Hull City job.
Bruce provided an insight into his relationship with controversial owner Assem Allam and revealed that he thought long and hard before accepting his job offer.
"After what happened at Sunderland, the next job was always going to be crucial to me, and when this one came up, a lot of my pals said: 'Steve, are you sure?'," he recalled.
"They were a mid-Championship side at best, and when I went to the chairman's house, here in Hull, he offered me a salary which I think I was earning in 1984! But I actually found that quite endearing. I said: 'Do you want me to do it for nothing?' There was almost a bit of naivety about him, and I just thought that was terrific after some of the things I'd experienced as a manager.
"What can I tell you about him? He doesn't have a mobile phone, for one thing. In fact, he hasn't got anything new-fangled, really. He considers a mobile an intrusion in his life, but at least it means I can't get sacked by text message.
"He has been here 50 years and lives three miles away, and he gave the local hospital £7million last week. He has given more to this community than probably anyone has, and he is a genuinely nice man.
"I don't think he could ever envisage we would reach an FA Cup final, but then none of us could. I'm delighted for him, just as I am for the players and supporters. But the job's not done yet. It's only a great day at Wembley if you win. That's the challenge we face, finding a way of beating Arsenal."
