Former Norwich City first team coach Mike Phelan is poised to link up with his old Canaries' team mate Steve Bruce at Premier League Hull City.

Phelan has reportedly agreed to become Tigers' chief Bruce's new assistant manager and will officially start his role after this weekend's top flight game against Newcastle United.

The Hull Daily Mail claim Phelan can return to the game after February 1 under the terms of his recent departure from Carrow Road. Phelan linked up with former Norwich boss Neil Adams in November after an 18-month exile from the game following his Manchester United exit, but the 52-year-old informed Alex Neil last week he wanted to sever his ties with his old club.

Neil made it clear he had wanted Phelan to be part of his backroom team alongside Gary Holt, Tony Parks and Frankie McAvoy, who will link up with his old Hamilton manager after Saturday's Championship trip to Birmingham.

'When I spoke to David (McNally) about taking the role he was pretty adamant he wanted to give Gary and Mike a place and see if we can make it work and everything was fine to be honest,' said Neil, speaking last week. 'In my short time here but Mike just felt his role had changed in some capacity and he felt it was better for him to move on. There was no real discussion. He just asked me for five minutes to have a chat and said what he felt he was brought here to do was not quite what he was doing now and it would better if he moved on. I said that I was sorry that was the case but so be it.'

Bruce held talks with his former Norwich and United team mate last weekend as he looks to find a replacement for his previous assistant, Steve Agnew, who recently joined Middlesbrough.