Why Hull City should reignite their interest in Ben Whiteman

Back in August, a report from Doncaster Free Press (h/t Hull Daily Mail) claimed that Hull City were linked with a move for Doncaster Rovers midfielder Ben Whiteman.

Grant McCann, who managed the 23-year-old during his previous managerial stint at Doncaster, was willing to bring the talented midfield enforcer to East Yorkshire but the Tigers had an official approach for Whiteman rebuffed by the League One outfit (Doncaster Free Press h/t Hull Daily Mail).

Whiteman had been identified as a potential alternative (Doncaster Free Press h/t Hull Daily Mail) to former captain Markus Henriksen, who looked set for an exit from the KCOM Stadium in the summer. However, Hull City failed to get a deal over the line to secure the services of the former Man United youth player.

Image result for ben whiteman" — Ben Whiteman had been linked with a move to Hull City back in the summer (Getty Images)

Whiteman, who was released by Man United without being offered a scholarship, shot to prominence with Sheffield United. He then went on to spend time on loan at Mansfield Town and Doncaster Rovers due to stiff competition for places at his parent club.

A successful loan spell at the Keepmoat Stadium during the first half of the 2017-18 campaign paved the way for a permanent switch to the League One outfit in January 2018.

The box-to-box ace hasn’t looked back since then, going from strength to strength to establish himself as one of the mainstays in the club’s midfield.

The Rochdale-born star has made a total of 115 appearances for Doncaster in all competitions till date, scoring 15 times and setting up another 7 goals in the process. His rich vein of form recently earned him a new long-term contract at the club until 2023 (h/t BBC).

As per WhoScored, Whiteman has averaged 67.9 passes per game at an accuracy rate of 83.5%, including 5.1 long balls, 1.5 key passes, 1.9 tackles, 2.2 interceptions and 3.4 shots per game in the League One this term.

Verdict

Hull City’s failure to secure a deal for Ben Whiteman didn’t seem like a big loss back in the summer, given the plethora of accomplished central midfield options available at McCann’s disposal.

Irvine and Stewart have been the mainstays in the middle of the park while the likes of Batty and Leandro Lopes have also clocked up some decent playtime this season.

However, with the Tigers yet to finalize new deals for out-of-contract stars Jackson Irvine, Kevin Stewart, Daniel Batty and Henriksen, they might as well start exploring the prospect of going back in the market for the Doncaster skipper.

The 23-year-old also offers a wide range of qualities, as well as the versatility to slot into defensive and box-to-box roles in the middle of the park.

Whiteman is still unproven at the Championship level but he has already shown enough promise in the third-tier.

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All in all, McCann’s reunion with his former Doncaster player in the near future could work wonders for Hull City.