Steve Bruce has shown his resilience by getting Hull City promoted; it's time we took him seriously as a manager As so often, Keane had a legitimate point beneath the squall. What has Bruce won as a manager? His 15-year record reads three promotions, one relegation, five resignations and two dismissals. He had a reputation early in his career for not settling at clubs, for falling out or walking out. Followers of some of them, notably Crystal Palace, still mutter darkly about the messy manner in which he left them. But it is time we took Bruce seriously. It is time we acknowledged that there is a decent manager behind that amiable, self-deprecating demeanour. He should be welcomed back warmly to the Premier League following those astonishing scenes on Saturday when Hull City were promoted. Now 52, Bruce should be admired because of the persistence he has shown, barring those peripatetic early steps in management. From the very commencement of his playing days, Bruce's story has been one of resilience. Turned down by his beloved Newcastle United, the Wallsend Boys Club graduate faced shifts in the Swan Hunter shipyard before being accepted by Gillingham of the Third Division. There was little glamour or money but so began Bruce's climb to the top, learning his trade and slowly making his name over five years at Gillingham and three at Norwich City before Manchester United beckoned. His face, and particularly his nose, bear the bumps and scars of a professional life inhabited amidst flailing elbows, coping with the likes of John Fashanu and Mick Harford or the twisted sinews through chasing Romario and Hristo Stoichkov around the Camp Nou. Bruce drew on that deep well of determination acquired through rejection, through the years of making the grade. He took responsibility, he took penalties, he took to the air for two towering headers against Sheffield Wednesday that helped United to their first title under Alex Ferguson in 1993. Bruce could be relied on. For all his three titles at Old Trafford, the European Cup-winners" Cup, three FA Cups and a League Cup, Bruce was never capped by England. Sir Bobby Robson even apologized in later years for overlooking him. Graham Taylor never saw fit to bring him into the squad either. Gary Pallister, the other half of that Dolly and Daisy duo, was constantly called. It was only B for Bruce. A patriotic individual, Bruce was hurt by such cold-shouldering by England. He carried on playing, at Birmingham City, before stepping into management with Sheffield United in 1998. Early in his managerial career, he seemed in too much of a rush, moving on because of better offers or frustration at boardroom issues. He resigned at Bramall Lane, turning up at Huddersfield Town. One morning, I visited him at Huddersfield's training ground; Bruce was on the phone, sorting out a delicate family issue with a player. This was a crash-course in man-management. He was learning but not fast enough and was sacked. Wigan and Palace followed, then Birmingham, taking them up to the Premier League in his first season, signaling what Keane would term his "potential" as a manager. He even managed to persuade Christophe Dugarry, a World Cup winner with France, to come to St Andrew's. Dugarry brought goals and belief for a while. Birmingham went down, but came back up, another reminder of Bruce's persistence. Bruce then resigned to take over Wigan and keep them up, before leaving to go to Sunderland. People overlook the decent finishes, 13th and 10th, before a sacking after a defeat to Wigan. That rejection again. Bruce clearly hasn't forgotten. One of his first observations in the glow of promotion on Saturday was to remember Sunderland's "kneejerk" reaction. He had seven months out, dealing with the rejection, doing some TV work. I bumped into him during that period, sitting outside a hotel, his shoes and socks off, revealing feet battered by years of heavy duty. He smiled, chatted, and talked of his desire to work again. He loved football, he explained. He needn't have explained. Everyone knows Bruce loves the game with a passion. Hull offered him work, a step down into the Championship, but he took it willingly. He wanted the daily involvement, the banter of the dressing room, a place where Bruce has always been at home. He wanted another chance. Was he really appreciated? During his time out, Bruce will have listened to the debate about the scarcity of English managers and the need for St George's Park to nurture more home-grown coaches. So he quietly took the Hull job and has delivered. Of course, he's no Jose Mourinho, no Pep Guardiola. Bruce is not a master-tactician but his systems have worked this season, whether 3-5-2 or the 4-4-2 against Cardiff City on Saturday. Players like his honesty. He has coaxed the best out of Paul McShane, man of the match against Cardiff, who had felt like heading back to Ireland. It needs remembering that Saturday was close to going badly wrong. Bruce was moments, and a third-choice Watford goalkeeper's positioning, away from the Championship play-offs. Amidst all the euphoria at the KC, Bruce preached commonsense. He promised to "plan properly," to avoid risking Hull's future through over-spending, although the team needs substantial strengthening. Next season will be tough but Bruce has not lost his humour, arguing that the prospect of facing Ferguson's champions is "like going to war with a pop gun." Bruce will enjoy having a shot.