There is only one obvious question to ask a Premier League defender who has just committed his immediate future to a club at the wrong end of League Two: Why would you do it?

And Andrew Davies will give you an answer as straight to the point as any of the tackles that have won him a place in Valley Parade hearts.

He explained: “Since I joined the club, the staff, manager and the fans have made me feel very welcome. To me, that means more than playing for a bigger club where you’re not as appreciated.

“I’m enjoying my football here, I’m playing games and I feel fit. I’m doing well. The manager has told me what his ambitions are for the club and he sold it to me. It was an easy decision to make.”

Some top-flight players could be accused of doing teams a favour when they turn up for a short loan. The aim, in their eyes, is simply to get fit and get out again at the earliest opportunity.

But that is not how Davies views his stint with the Bantams. He may be the fulcrum of the defence but the centre half insists he is the one who should be grateful, saying: “The club are doing me a favour, to be honest, not the other way round.

“It’s great when you have the manager ringing up and saying how much they want you and then the supporters have been different class. When you hear people singing your name and cheering, it brings out the confidence. Being here has made me feel like I used to be.

“I’ve never doubted what I can do on a football pitch. I’ve always had a little doubt about my body (holding up) because the last couple of years have been hard for me with injuries.

“I’ve always thought if I could get fit and play a full season, that’s when I’ll start to believe I can get back to where I was.

“Working with (fitness coach) Nick Allamby and having the manager supporting me, I can feel I’m getting there. So why go and change it and do something different? I’ve no problem at all with playing in League Two.”

Davies, who arrived from Stoke in September, admits his eyes have been opened by his first stint in the bottom division – but not in a bad way. Any misconceptions about the standard of football soon disappeared.

He said: “It’s quite scary how some people disrespect this league. But there are some good players at this level.

“I’ve always said the Premier League is the best in the world. It’s the fastest and most competitive. Then you’ve got a bit of a gap to the Championship but I don’t think there’s a difference between playing in League One and League Two and I’ve done both.

“People don’t realise that. They say ‘why are you playing in League Two’ but it’s not as easy as they might think because they don’t know.

“I don’t feel I’m at a League Two club, to be honest. You only have to look at the stadium, the facilities and the supporters.

“Getting 10,000 in League Two, I’d love to think what the crowd would be like if Bradford got up the divisions. It’s a club that I feel can get back to where it used to be and I want to be part of that.”

Davies still sees his future in the higher echelons. He is out of contract in the summer, though it is surely wishful thinking to imagine him stepping out at Valley Parade again in August.

But his spell with City, for however long, is more than just an exercise in proving his fitness to bigger suitors – and the defender has a promise for the fans.

He said: “Bradford and the manager haven’t seen me at my best yet. That’s why I want to keep striving. There are going to be ups and downs over the rest of the season but, at the end, I think I’ll come out strong.

“I could have gone back to Stoke but I’d have just sat there until someone maybe came in later in the month to take me. But I can’t afford to sit around doing nothing, I need to carry on what I’m doing.”

Davies endured seven games on the City sidelines after those early red cards against Torquay and Swindon. That was another factor in his decision to stay put until May.

He said: “I wanted to give something back. They didn’t sign me for me not to play because I was suspended.

“I didn’t want to leave the club with people thinking that Andrew Davies was good. I want them to think of me as one of the best (loan players) they’ve ever had.

“In a way, I think what happened has improved me as a player. There are tackles that I’d normally go in for but I’m holding back a bit now.

“I’ve always been told I can read the game quite well and sometimes you don’t really need to slide around. Everything happens for a reason, so maybe it’s helped me in that way.”