New City capture Chris Mitchell admitted he had grown bored with football north of the border.

The versatile defender is relishing the fresh challenge as he prepares for his first full week of training at the club.

Mitchell, capped at under-21 level by Scotland, signed on Friday with former Falkirk team-mate Mark Stewart.

And he said: “To be honest, at Falkirk it was getting a bit of a drag going in. Knowing that someone like Bradford wants me fills you with confidence.

“I can’t wait to get into proper training and the first game of the season will be an even bigger buzz. This is the first season when I’ve really felt I can give everything.”

Mitchell is predominantly a right back, which is his natural side, but has often featured on the left. He can also fill in a holding midfield role – prompting comparisons with Phil Neville from Bantams chief scout Archie Christie.

Mitchell said: “I played right back for Falkirk and a wee bit with Scotland but then switched to the left and enjoyed it. I was quite pleased with the performances.

“I think it’s a good thing for the gaffer that you can move about. He’s always got a player who can fill in somewhere.

“But I’d be happy to get one regular position in the team and hopefully stay there.”

Mitchell, who turns 23 in a fortnight, is already flat hunting for a permanent base in the Bradford area.

The transition of settling in a new country will be much smoother with close pal Stewart also around – their respective girlfriends are cousins.

“You hear of players coming down (from Scotland) who can’t get themselves settled in and end up going back up the road,” said Mitchell.

“Now we’re here for each other, we can settle in a lot easier. I’m sure that will show when we’re playing football.

“You’re a lot more confident if there’s nothing else to worry about in your head.

“But we’ll still have our own space, even though we’re good mates. We don’t always want to know what the other one’s doing – we’re not moving in together!”

Meanwhile, Christie expects striker Stewart to make a huge stir.

He said: “I’m confident he will be up there among the top scorers in the division. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was in the top three.

“Some of the goals he scored last season were very difficult. He doesn’t score the third in a 3-1 win, he’ll score the winner in a 1-0.

“He’s shown great desire to come to Bradford City despite numerous requests from other clubs.”