The emergency loan deadline for the lower leagues has been and gone and two heroic ex-Tigers have been farmed out from their parent clubs.
David Livermore, political victim amidst City's glorious promotion last season, has left one sinking ship (Brighton and Hove Albion) in order to join one already sunken (Luton Town). Then there's Jason Price, who has left Doncaster Rovers to give Millwall a bit of a hand.
Price was one of the most exciting talents brought into Hull City by Peter Taylor as the long-awaited resuscitation of the club got underway. A flamboyant, twinkletoed right sided midfielder, he had the measure of full backs as frequently as he encountered the frustration of his manager.
Recommended to Taylor by City striker Ben Burgess, Price had been at Tranmere Rovers and apprentice club Swansea City prior to joining the Tigers in 2003. His first season was excellent as City roared to League Two promotion, with a hat-trick against - of all clubs - Doncaster Rovers proving a worthy, if rather fortunate, highlight. Already it was clear that his mannerisms and laddish interviewing style marked him out as something of a character, and this helped contribute to his eventual downfall.
Price was injured towards the end of that season and was asked to undergo extra rehab on the tweaked hamstring over the summer but instead chose to honour his holiday booking. He subsequently, though nobody has ever confirmed it was also consequently, spent much of the following League One campaign on the bench, coming on as an impact substitute. Ryan France was now a preferred option for Taylor on the right hand side of midfield, a more industrious but less resourceful performer, and Price had to bite the bullet.
Upon promotion to the Championship after just one season, Price's future became even less clear. He had a year to go on his deal but seemed determined, even at a level he was unfamiliar with, to earn a fresh contract at the KC and for the opening three months of the season he played semi-regularly and pretty well, finding the net against both Sheffield clubs at the KC - a late, scuffed winner against Wednesday and a glorious curler against United which opened the scoring but still ended in defeat.
It was still a surprise, however, when Taylor opted to accept an offer for Price from Doncaster during the January transfer window and the Welshman with - by now - a substantial afro was heading down a division and along the M18. Ultimately it was the offer of a longer contract that seemed to seal the deal, and Taylor admitted at the fans' forum towards the end of that season that he agonised for quite some time about whether to give Price the deal he wanted.
Price wasn't quite mourned, or missed, upon his departure but he was certainly a talented and effervescent character and he still lives in the city to this day, albeit he'll be spending some work time in London for a while now. He was a clever footballer with a persona to match the insolent way he sometimes played the game, and his presence is crucial to reminding Taylor's lunatic detractors that our former manager was more capable than they will ever accredit him of purchasing, picking and getting the best out of creative footballers.
.jpg)
