How a summer decision quickly proved beneficial for both Blackpool and Hull City's new addition

The striker leaves Bloomfield Road as one of the Seasiders’ standout players from the first half of the season, and joins Championship Hull City for a substantial fee.

His seven goals and two assists in League One don’t tell the full story of the 23-year-old’s campaign so far, with his attributes both on and off the ball helping him to become a key player under Steve Bruce.

The experienced head coach, who has spent many years managing the Premier League, has shared his admiration of Joseph on a number of occasions.

Prior to the official announcement of the forward’s move to the MKM Stadium, the 64-year-old said: He’s a smashing lad who’s dug in this season and led from the front, so we’re sorry to see him go.

“He’s everything I like in a football player, he gives everything he’s got. I’m delighted to have worked with him, he’s a smashing lad.

“We’re sad to lose him, but that’s football - everyone’s got their price whether you are Kyle Joseph or Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Hull are up against it at the bottom end of the Championship, so they are trying to get a centre forward in to help them. For attitude and commitment, they’re not going to get any better than Kyle - he’ll be a good asset for them.

“Sometimes you can’t stand in their way, it’s a bit life changing for the kid.”

Potential summer departure

Despite his success in recent times, Joseph’s time with Blackpool has been a tale of two seasons.

His first campaign at Bloomfield Road didn’t go to plan. He arrived with a pre-existing injury from his time at Swansea City, and picked up a further problem on his debut in Tangerine - which ruled him out for three months.

Upon his return to action, the ex-Oxford United loanee couldn’t nail down a place in the Seasiders starting XI under Neil Critchley, and could only manage two goals in 37 outings.

On the back of his frustrating first year with Blackpool, Joseph looked set to move on at one point during the summer.

His former club Wigan Athletic were reportedly interested - but no doubt the offered fee would’ve considerably less to what the Seasiders have now received.

At the time, former head coach Critchley said: “Kyle is here and he’s our player. He’s worked extremely hard in pre-season so far, and we’re looking forward to working with him for the next few weeks and beyond.

“Last season, he came injured from Swansea, he then unfortunately had another one that kept him out for a long period of time. Both of us would’ve wanted it to go better, but we signed him because of the potential we think he has and we’re hopeful we’ll see that in the future.

“He’s come back in really good condition, and looks as if he’s improved physically. He looks stronger and really sharp so I’m hoping he can have a big season for us.”

Meanwhile, Latics boss Shaun Maloney also shared Blackpool’s position on the matter after the approach was made.

“We obviously made offers early, they were absolutely adamant they wanted to keep Kyle, we respect that, and there's been no change,” he told Wigan Today.

Joseph’s perspective

In an interview last month, Joseph admitted he was unsettled at Bloomfield Road, but was ultimately happy with the decision he made.

“There’s news everywhere in the transfer window,” he said.

“My sole objective was to come back and make sure wherever I was, I was in the team. There was interest in the summer, and was I settled? - Probably not. There was a bit of unrest where I didn’t feel like they were going to get the best out of me.

“Everything happens for a reason, and it didn’t come off. Then the new manager came in, and I couldn’t be happier.

“It’s a funny game, football. You can go from one feeling to another so quickly. I look back now and think it was a time where I showed resilience and stayed strong. I came in and did my work. The change of staff has really helped me to develop my game.

“I had a really tough time last year - I wasn’t playing as much as I would’ve liked, and I probably wasn’t playing in the right position.

“I had lads who were miles ahead of me in terms of fitness so I was trying to catch up to them, so I found it tough, but this summer has done me good - it was really important for me to come back and stake my claim.

“I had a long hard look at myself in the mirror and accepted I wasn’t good enough last season, but I knew I had a chance to make it right, and I feel like I’ve done that.

“When you’re fully fit you can show your best in your best position, but when you’re not you’re shoehorned in. That’s down to me as well. I could’ve come back in a lot better way when I was injured, but that’s in the past now, and I’ve put it behind me. It was a good learning curve for me, and a big eye opener to kick on.”

With Joseph now getting a move to the Championship and Blackpool receiving a solid amount of capital to reinvest into their squad, both parties have been rewarded for their decisions back in the summer.