Charlie Hughes opens up on Hull City transfer after making big Wigan Athletic decision

Charlie Hughes says his decision to move to Hull City was the perfect step in his fledgling career as he looks to settle into life as a Championship footballer.

Hughes, one of City's high-profile summer signings when he joined from his hometown club Wigan Athletic, was forced to wait until the Tigers' ninth game of the season to make his debut. He came off the bench at Norwich City before the international break, and then impressed on his first start against Sunderland on Sunday.

The youngster, who turned 21 this time last week, says boss Tim Walter played a crucial role in making the move happen, with Hughes citing the German's style of play as a key reason for him deciding to leave the DW Stadium.

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"If I'm honest, it kind of came out of nowhere," Hughes told Hull Live. "I was saying previously that I kind of stayed out of it, I continued to train and play and let my agent deal with it.

"I just cracked on every single day, and I never really looked at my phone; I just let it happen, and then the first bit of interest I heard, I still continued to play and train and then do my homework, having a look at Hull playing over their pre-season games.

"When the interest came in, I continued to do my homework, and then the more and more it got serious, that's when I opened up my eyes and started to think about things.

"I think it was a couple of weeks before the last day of the window (when the interest came), and it was out of the blue, I didn't expect it, but now, I'm really happy I'm here now and learning more as a footballer."

Walter puts a huge emphasis on his defenders and their ability to bring the ball out of defence. And Hughes says the manager's approach was key, though he accepts the step up to Championship will be a challenge, as he's already found out when his error helped Norwich to a third goal before the international break.

"I think looking at the style of play and the manager, the gaffer really wanted me, his interest in me, he said he really wanted me to fit the style of play, and I think the style of play suits me," he said. "At Wigan, I had a little sniff of it. Shaun Maloney only wanted me to play that way a little bit, and I really enjoy having the ball.

"League One to Championship is a big, big jump, but it's still down to me, how I play. I think it suits me, and I really enjoy having the ball.

"At Wigan, I was captain, and I played a lot of games for them. I enjoyed every minute of that; it was an honour. I fully respect the club, and I always will, but I thought it was the right time for me to move on and progress as a player and coming to Hull City was that opportunity, and I'm really looking forward to the next few years here."

It can take players time to settle into their new surroundings, but Hughes says playing golf with some of his teammates has been a big help.

"I've sorted a house in Hull now, so I'm glad to be settled here in the club and in the area," he said. "I must say, I think it is quite a tight group, for a lot of different characters in the building, but it's a top, top group and we're quite close.

"I've got a couple of pals, Xavier Simons and Gilo (Ryan Giles), but we play a lot of golf, so we've got a good golf group, and there's a few of us who like a round of golf, so that's a tight group as well."