Hull and Bullard finally negotiate exit deal

The club-record £5m signing was shown the door by the Tigers following an incident on a pre-season trip to Slovenia last summer.

Bullard, who had two years remaining on his £48,000-per-week contract at the KC Stadium, immediately lodged a legal appeal in an attempt to fight the decision.

However, after months of negotiations during which Hull made it plain they were determined to fight their corner, Bullard has accepted a pay-off that is some way below the substantial seven-figure pay-out the midfielder had initially demanded.

Both parties are understood to have signed a confidentiality agreement and no one at Hull was available for comment last night.

The news of an agreement having been struck brings to an end perhaps the costliest episode in the club’s history.

Not only did Hull pay Fulham £5m to sign Bullard in January, 2009, but they also agreed a lucrative contract that had no relegation clause included – meaning the club were still committed to paying the midfielder around £2.5m per year even after dropping into the Championship.

In return, Bullard made just 19 starts for the Tigers before his acrimonious exit earlier this season, after which he joined Ipswich Town.

With the saga now finally closed, it means Hull can focus fully on the fight to return to the top flight – starting with tonight’s trip to Cardiff.

Manager Nick Barmby, whose side are unbeaten in nine games but have drawn their last five, said: “We try and win every game. Believe it or not we don’t try to draw games, although we have had draws recently.

“We are a team that wants to go and win a game. Cardiff are a team that wants to win every game so it should be a good game.”

Robbie Brady is not expected to feature after limping out of Saturday’s draw with Ipswich but, otherwise, Barmby has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Hull’s fourth game of the month.

The Tigers manager said: “Robbie Brady was just feeling his thigh (on Saturday).

“He’d had a problem in the previous 10 days so we didn’t want to risk it.

“He was looking sharp in the first half against Ipswich but he felt it at half-time so it would have been silly for us to let him carry on because if it goes it would cause more damage.

“Then, he would be out for a long time so there is no way we would risk it.”