Hull boss Steve Bruce wants weekly in-house drug tests after Livermore suspension

It's a nice idea, but probably wishful thinking

Hull City manager Steve Bruce has responded to one of his players failing a drugs test by suggesting that the club be allowed to operate a weekly in-house testing programme. Midfielder Jake Livermore is facing a suspension of up to two years after testing positive for cocaine and Bruce, whose side are fighting for the Premier League lives and need to beat Manchester United this weekend to have any chance of survival, has admitted the period since Friday's confirmation of the adverse finding has been the toughest of his managerial career.

'(The testers) have been to our club I think something in the region of 15, 16 times now,' Bruce said. 'It is so high-profile now with the Premier League and rightly so as we are talking about a player who has taken a social drug, which is just ridiculous.

'If they have been to our club 15 times then they have been to every other Premier League club 15 times. And week in, week out, there's nothing. It's well run, there are certain things we can probably improve on.

'Could we embark on doing it ourselves every week? That might be a way forward, but I don't think legally you'd have a cat in hell's chance of doing that. I don't think the authorities would allow that.'

The club are currently awaiting the result of Livermore's B sample and will give the player the opportunity to explain himself before deciding what further action to take.