Hull City sign Japan international Hidemasa Morita

Hull City have confirmed the signing of experienced Japan international Hidemasa Morita on a two-year contract, with the club holding the option to extend the deal by a further year.

The 31-year-old joins the newly promoted Premier League side on a free transfer after leaving Sporting, despite attracting interest from fellow newcomers Ipswich Town.

Morita arrives with an impressive pedigree, having won multiple trophies during his four-year spell in Portugal, including two Primeira Liga titles and the Taça de Portugal. He also helped Sporting reach the Champions League quarter-finals last season, making 23 appearances in Europe’s top club competition.

The midfielder, who has earned 40 caps for Japan, becomes Hull’s fourth signing of the summer and the third this week, following the arrivals of Matt Targett and Óscar Zambrano.

Morita will link up with the squad at their training camp in Slovenia, although a minor calf injury is expected to keep him out of action for around a week.