Football
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Interim manager Mike Phelan wants to succeed Steve Bruce at Hull City

Hull caretaker boss Mike Phelan wants to replace Steve Bruce at the Tigers.

The former Manchester United assistant manager is keen to take over from Bruce, who left the club on Friday just three weeks before the start of the Premier League season.

Phelan watched as Hull beat Scunthorpe 2-0 in a preseason friendly at Glanford Park on Saturday and admitted he wants the vacant job at the KCOM Stadium.

"I want to be a manager. I don't really see why I shouldn't want to be a manager. Time will tell. That decision doesn't sometimes come down to you,'' he told the Hull Daily Mail.

"I've had a small chat and I was asked if I would carry on being in charge for now. We have games, we have preparations, we've still got three weeks to go.

"My job is no different to what it has been except now I'm stood on the touchline in games doing my bit. We just have to do our job, there's nothing else we can do until the powers that be make their decisions.''

Shaun Maloney and Abel Hernandez scored for Hull as travelling fans vented their frustration against club owners Assem and Ehab Allam.

Bruce was interviewed for the England job, which went to Sam Allardyce, and Phelan believes things had become too much for the ex-Manchester United defender with Hull yet to sign a senior player since beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the Sky Bet Championship playoff final in May.

"It seems as though Steve was frustrated and he maybe felt his time was up,'' said Phelan.

"He's moved on and he's been fantastic for this football club. It's sad in a way that it's turned out as it did.

"It's probably been a frustration of his right from gaining promotion. I don't think he made a secret of that. He'll take a rest and look back on the great things he's done at this club.

"I don't know why he wasn't backed. As an assistant I assisted the manager and his frustrations can sometimes become your own frustrations. But what can you do? It's been a long, drawn out saga.''

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