With the Tigers settling into the higher level of the Championship, the club pulled off a massive coup with the signing of one of the brightest young talents in the English game. John has joined us on a season's loan from Liverpool.

He joined the current European champions when he was ten years old and has progressed through the youth ranks at the Anfield club to be competing with likes of Steven Gerrard for a place in their midfield.

John made his first team debut in a Worthington Cup tie against Ipswich Town in December 2002 and his Premiership debut came in a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal, also at Anfield, in October 2003.

Up to joining the Tigers, he had made a total of ten first team appearances. Seven of them came last season when he played a part in their Champions League success. The defensive midfielder came on for Jamie Carragher after 70 minutes as his home town club completed a 3-1 second leg win at Bayer Leverkusen to go through to the quarter finals.

To his advantage, John was well aware of what he was coming to as he travelled across the M62. The 21-year old had played four times for England's Under-21s and made his debut against Holland at the KC Stadium in February 2004.

He also appeared for the Under-21s when Germany visited the KC earlier in 2005, then scored his only goal at senior level four days later in the 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan at Middlesbrough.

Of course, it also means he is very familiar to Peter Taylor as - at the time of his signing - the Tigers chief had handed him three of his four caps at Under-21 level in his other role as the England Under-21 coach.

It was soon four out of five when he came on as a sub in the European Championship qualifier in Wales on 2 September to become the first player to represent England at Under-21 level whilst with Hull City since Garry Parker in February 1987.

By then, John's importance to the City cause had increased significantly with the news that skipper Ian Ashbee would miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Having enjoyed the experience of regular first team football, John accepted the opportunity to turn the loan into a permanent move in January with a contract to June 2008. The Tigers also stand to receive a maximum of £1.5million as talented trainee Paul Anderson moved to Anfield in the swap deal.

John added to his representative honours in February when he captained the Football League's Under-21s against Italy's Serie B, also at the KC.

His 2006-07 season ended in March when he broke his tibia and fibula against Preston North End at the KC Stadium in a challenge with his former Liverpool team-mate Neil Mellor.

JOHN WELSH'S ENGLAND UNDER-21 APPEARANCES WHILST WITH HULL CITY

02.09.2005 A v Wales at Wrexham (European Championship Qualifier) - Sub
06.09.2005 A v Germany at Mainz (European Championship Qualifier)
28.02.2006 H v Norway at Reading (Friendly) - Sub
14.11.2006 A v Holland at Alkmaar (Friendly) - Sub

JOHN WELSH'S FOOTBALL LEAGUE UNDER-21 APPEARANCES WHILST WITH HULL CITY

21.02.2006 H v Italian League at KC Stadium (Friendly) - captain