Steve Bruce has laid his feelings bare over Jake Livermore’s positive test for cocaine, saying that the Hull City midfielder has tarnished himself and will have to live with the consequences. The Hull manager watched his team lose 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur to leave themselves in serious danger relegation from the Premier League, but the subject of Livermore dominated the post-match discussion.
Bruce said that Livermore was in a dark place and he described the conversation he had with him on Wednesday, when he broke the news of the failed test, as the most difficult he had ever had with a player. Livermore has been suspended by the Football Association and, in turn, by Hull and he faces a ban of up to two years.
“We’re all let down, from everybody concerned with the club and everybody concerned with football,” Bruce said. “We’re all let down. But the biggest one he has let down is a blossoming career. He’s let himself down. Being tarnished with that is awful and he’ll have to live with the consequences of that.
“The conversation I had with him is the hardest conversation I think I’ve had with any footballer I’ve ever had. To inform him he’s failed a drugs test is not easy. He couldn’t concentrate or focus on anything, so it didn’t really matter what I said. He’s obviously in a dark place and we’ll see what the outcome is from the FA.
“It’s difficult because we’ve got to go down all the procedures. They are there for everybody to see. We’ve got to go down the lines of second samples, to the FA, the hearing, all the rest of it. As a reaction? I’m shocked, saddened, disappointed, angry. All of the things. Why wouldn’t I be? I can’t come to terms with it, if I’m being honest. Society today is unfortunately like that.”
Bruce said it had been “arguably the worst week I’ve had” after the disastrous home loss to Burnley last Saturday and then the Livermore bombshell. His players gave a response here but they could not avoid another defeat.
Hull must now beat Manchester United at home on the final day of the season and hope that Newcastle United and Sunderland fluff their lines.
“They are now looking at Jake’s B sample and you’re going to have to have Jake’s lawyers – I believe he has to put his actions in writing before Thursday and then the hearing will be whenever it sits,” Bruce said.
“It’s not for me to be judge and jury but I’m disappointed with the whole thing.”
