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Report: Hull City’s Tommy Elphick makes decision on Aston Villa return

Dean Smith manager of Aston Villa during a press conference at Villa Park Stadium on October 15, 2018 in Birmingham, England. (Catherine Ivill/Gett...
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Aston Villa loaned Tommy Elphick out to Championship rivals Hull City in August and he’s starring under Nigel Adkins at the KCOM Stadium.

Tommy Elphick of Aston Villa during the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Aston Villa at KCOM Stadium on August 6, 2018 in Hull, England.

Why the former Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce decided to loan Tommy Elphick out to Hull City on the August transfer deadline is anyone’s guess.

Clearly, Bruce was not a fan of the experienced defender – but farming him out with no replacement, leaving Villa with just two natural centre-backs, appeared nonsensical at the time. Even more so now because Elphick has been very impressive in a stuttering Hull team.

And Aston Villa fans have taken to Twitter on numerous occasions over the last few months, encouraging their club to bring the 31-year-old back at the earliest opportunity.

But Hull fans needn’t worry.

Earned his stripes

The Hull Daily Mail are reporting that Elphick has little interest in returning to the Midlands in January and is keen to stay at Hull, for whom he has started 11 league games already this season.

Bolton Wanderers' Clayton Donaldson shoots under pressure from Hull City's Tommy Elphick at Macron Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Bolton, England.

It is understood that the former Bournemouth man, who won the Championship title with The Cherries in 2015, is determined to play regular first-team football and knows he’s more likely to get that at Hull than at his parent club.

Aston Villa, the report adds, would rather sign a new centre-back from outside too rather than bring Elphick back to the Second City. So Nigel Adkins can breathe a sigh of relief.

Hull manager Nigel Adkins gestures during the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City and Fulham at KCOM Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Hull, England.