Hull City manager Steve Bruce has admitted that he regrets his failure to sign Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin two years ago.

Hull come up against Austin this afternoon in the Premier League, and Bruce is ruing his missed opportunity two years ago, when Austin failed a medical.

He told reporters: "Our loss is QPR's gain. Not only has he done as much as anyone this year but last season he scored the goals that got them into the Premier League. That is what he was brought in to do.

"It is never easy to score goals. We are all looking for someone like that. He has got 13 and that is a healthy return with 13 games to go.

"We'd identified him. I think he would have been a real terrific player for us, as he has proved. He is a goalscorer with a fantastic attitude."

Austin joined QPR from Burnley shortly after his move to Hull broke down.