CHARLIE Wyke used to clean Tony McMahon’s footwear but now he has his sights on becoming City's golden boot.

The £250,000 deadline-day capture from Carlisle is settling in quickly ahead of his Valley Parade debut against Gillingham tomorrow.

The banter is already flying with McMahon, a former team-mate when Wyke was in the youth ranks at Middlesbrough.

Wyke said: “He’s a bit of a character. As soon as the deal went through he rang to say he’d pick me up and show me the ropes.

“I cleaned Tony’s boots at Middlesbrough for two years when I was a kid. But he didn’t give me any money for it, no bonus at Christmas and not even coffees in the morning!

“But I saw his delivery in training yesterday and if I can get on the end of those crosses, hopefully I can score a few goals.”

Wyke has already got 18 under his belt in League Two and scored in what proved to be his final game for the Cumbrians last weekend.

The 24-year-old was well aware that City had made their move by then but was determined not to be distracted.

“I’d spoken to the manager there and he just told to go out there and keep my head. I did that and scored so nobody could say that I wasn’t bothered.”

Wyke’s fee is the biggest City have splashed out since the Premier League but he is relishing the anticipation of a bumper home crowd that will be boosted by making it a family day and slashing ticket prices.

He said: “If you get signed for a lot, there’s going to be a bit of pressure and expectation but you’ve got to deal with it.

“I’ve had a few tweets from fans saying they’ve been crying out for a striker who can score goals. But I think there’s a lot of quality in the squad.

“I’ve seen some of the highlights and the lads play really good football.

“It’s perfect that my first game is at home. The chairman’s put special tickets on so it will be a bit cheaper so there are going to be a lot of fans.

“My dad comes off holiday from Mexico today so I think he’s coming straight to the game.

“You’ll recognise him with the sombrero and a shot of tequila! He’ll be a bit jet-lagged but he won’t want to miss it.”