Sunderland AFC and Burnley learn of £3.5m Hull City signing's quality | OneFootball

Charlie Hughes' first two Hull City starts have led to major praise for the centre-back

Hull City's two performances against Sunderland and Burnley showcased plenty of promise.

Just a few short weeks ago, it looked as though the Tigers had begun to turn a corner under the guidance of Tim Walter with three straight victories, before being comprehensively beaten 4-0 away to Norwich City ahead of the most-recent international break.

This led to many supporters and outsiders fearing the worst for City against the Black Cats and Clarets, with both expected to be challenging for a place in the Premier League at the end of the season.

At face value, a return of one point from a possible six on home turf would normally be viewed as underwhelming, and plenty would argue that Hull deserved to take at least a point on Sunday afternoon amid a number of controversial flashpoints, before going on to more-than match, if not better, Scott Parker's men on Wednesday night.

Charlie Hughes was given his maiden starting berth against the North East side and was a major plus point in defeat, before Burnley would also go on to find the summer signing from Wigan Athletic in fine form.

After being thrown in the deep end at Carrow Road to replace Sean McLoughlin on October 5th, there was huge clamour for the £3.5m man to be handed his first start after a promising display against Corendon Alanyaspor in a friendly the following week.

Hughes couldn't have asked for two tougher tests on paper to prove himself at this level after a stellar individual campaign at the Brick Community Stadium last term, but the 21-year-old's presence has been more-than welcome in the last two encounters.

Featuring for 85 of the 90 minutes against Sunderland, the three-time England U20 international gave himself a strong platform from which to build upon, winning three of his five individual battles, as well as recording two clearances, one block and a solitary interception against Regis Le Bris' dynamic side.

Hughes more than built upon the performance in his first start for the club, as alongside the likes of Cody Drameh, Gustavo Puerta and Regan Slater in particular, the defender was a standout performer in the midweek 1-1 draw.

Although Burnley operated with a false nine in the form of Zian Flemming - posing a number of questions in comparison to Wilson Isidor - Hughes was imperious at the heart of City's defence, which has become much more watertight as a result.

The winning of every single duel - ground and aerial - further proves the array of attributes and composure which the young defender has brought to Walter's side, with defensive partner Alfie Jones also starting to look a more assured figure in comparison to earlier outings.

Regardless of the attacking quality at Burnley's disposal - including the likes of Luca Koleosho, Jay Rodriguez and Andreas Hountondji - could break the defender's resolve either, with Hughes standing firm against those looking to go direct against him, as well as recording nine clearances - one of which came off the line, to preserve a well-fought point for the Tigers.

Charlie Hughes is starting to show signs of Jacob Greaves 2.0 for Hull City

Given his leadership and prior quality throughout a lengthy spell with the Latics, the comparison between Hughes and former City centre-back, Jacob Greaves, have already occurred and will most likely continue if the defender continues to perform to such a high standard.

Similarly to the Hull-born defender, the man previously touted with moves to West Ham, Brentford and Ipswich, isn't afraid to progress play forward as soon as possible either, with three of his five long balls also paying dividends against Burnley.

Walter's unique style of play means there is a major focus on playing out from the back and the aforementioned way of progressing the ball forward in a quick manner, which, based off a recent admission from Hughes, will give extreme satisfaction to his new boss.

"I think looking at the style of play and the manager, the gaffer really wanted me, his interest in me, he said he really wanted me to fit the style of play, and I think the style of play suits me," Hughes told Hull Live.

"At Wigan, I had a little sniff of it. Shaun Maloney only wanted me to play that way a little bit, and I really enjoy having the ball."

If his first two starts are anything to go by, Hull could be sitting on a gem of a defender for the years to come, having signed a four-year contract in August.