STEVE BRUCE, the Hull City manager, has expressed his surprise at being able to secure Newcastle midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa on loan until the end of the season.

Ben Arfa was one of four deadline day signings made by Hull, along with record signing Abel Hernandez, Gaston Ramirez and Mohamed Diame. With plenty of interest in the Frenchman, though, Bruce was not sure he could make the deal happen.

"I didn't think it would be possible to do a loan deal, but the later it got the more beneficial it became," Bruce said. "With a bit of patience and luck, we've managed to pull in a really good player.

"He'll bring that little bit of flair and creativity."