Jay Simpson came off the bench to earn all three points in a 1-0 win against Brighton at the KC Stadium as City made a bright start to the season.
“We’ve made a good start and it was nice to get off to a winning start,” said Bruce.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve stood in the dug-out for a league game and the last time I did, the roof caved in on me.
“But I’ve enjoyed it here and a big thank you to everybody who has made me feel so welcome.
“In terms of the game, Brighton probably went away thinking they should have got something from the game. The one thing about them is that they will have possession. They want to take it out from the back and play their way through you.
“The good thing for me is that we got through the game. We rolled our sleeves up, kept a clean sheet and thank goodness we got clearance for Sone Aluko to play because the game would have been a bit duller without him.
“But we’ve still got work to do. Physically we’re still short, we’re not the biggest side in the league and we’re still short of two or three players, although a manager is always going to say that.”