Sellés appointed new head coach

Hull City are delighted to announce the appointment of Rubén Sellés as the club’s new head coach, subject to obtaining a visa.

The 41-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at the MKM Stadium, with a club option of a further year, after a compensation fee was agreed with Reading.

The widely admired Spaniard impressed despite continued off-field challenges during his 18-month Royals reign, steering a young side to safety and then into the League One play-off places.

James Oliver-Pearce and Tobias Loveland have also made the move from the Select Car Leasing Stadium, joining as assistant head coach and first-team coach respectively.

Andy Dawson will take the side for Saturday’s match against Blackburn Rovers before returning to his role as first-team coach, with Sellés to assume full control on Monday.

Chairman Acun Ilıcalı said: “We are delighted to have secured the services of our number one target.

“Rubén’s ambition aligns with ours. His passion and enthusiasm shone through in our meetings and we share similar ideas of how we want football to be played.

“There was considerable interest in the role, but Rubén stood out for his football philosophy, ability to develop players, attention to detail and extensive coaching experience.

“I would like to thank Reading for their cooperation and professionalism throughout the process.

“I believe we have the right man to lead our talented squad forward and give our passionate supporters a team they will enjoy watching.

“My dream for this club is entertaining football and positive results. We are really excited to have Rubén with us and I know our amazing fans will welcome him into our Hull City family.”

Sellés said: “I am really happy. When the possibility to come here became real, my eyes were on Hull City.

“I know the team, the club, the history and I’m looking forward to starting my journey with the team.

“I saw a lot of similarities with where we are as technical staff and what we want to do for the present and the future, and that’s why I decided to come.

“From now, we go all in, all together, every single time, 100%. There is no tomorrow; every day is important, every action is important. We’re going to fight for every inch together.”

Reading's convincing 3-0 victory over Cambridge United in Sellés’ final game was their ninth league win this season and 11^th in 12 home matches in all competitions, leaving the Royals in sixth place.

The Berkshire club are unbeaten in six games and boast the fourth-most potent attack in League One, with Sellés winning 34 of his 78 matches following his arrival in June 2023.

Performing admirably in adversity, his first season saw Reading overturn a 10-point deficit to comfortably avoid relegation by nine points in 17^th position despite a six-point deduction.

Under Sellés’ stewardship, the Royals romped to a sensational 9-0 EFL Trophy victory at Exeter City and ended the 2023/24 campaign with the division’s seventh-best home record and goals for tally.

His first experience in English football came with Southampton, joining as assistant to Ralph Hasenhüttl in the summer of 2022 before taking the reins in February until the end of the season.

Although Sellés was unable to save Saints from relegation from the Premier League, having inherited a team entrenched in the bottom three, he oversaw several standout results while gaining valuable top-flight experience.

Stunning Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, Southampton recorded high-scoring draws against Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as a goalless draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Born in Valencia, Sellés obtained his UEFA Pro Licence aged 25 and held numerous coaching roles over a 15-year period in Greece, Spain, Russia, Azerbaijan, Norway and Denmark before moving to England.

Notable accomplishments include back-to-back Azerbaijan league titles with Qarabağ, European qualification with Aarhus and winning the Superliga with fellow Danish side Copenhagen.

Rubén is proudly sponsored by Evans & Co Chartered Certified Accountants for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.