A link-up with the football academy that was set up by former Bradford City winger Mark Ellis and is based in Leeds has already provided some players for Eccleshill United.

Ellis is the Eagles’ director of football but team affairs are run by manager Ian Banks and his assistant Grant Crookes.

They pick the team and the players in the squad, while former Bantam ‘Mega’s’ role is to introduce the players from his academy to the club.

Eagles spokesman Brian Bell confirmed that two of the players had impressed Banks and they had featured in his first competitive squad.

Eccleshill were beaten 4-2 at Pontefract Collieries last Saturday and, unlike many of their Kool Sport Northern Counties East League counterparts, did not have a midweek game.

Bell said: “It was one of those games because we were 1-0 up, then had to come back from 2-1 down to be level at half-time.

“They (Pontefract) had a man sent off just before half-time and we expected to go on and beat them. It doesn’t always work out how you want it to.

“We had two of the Americans that are at Mark’s soccer school playing for us after getting international clearance for them. They are Joe Spivak and keeper Andy Ceasar, who was our man of the match at Ponte.

“A few of the other players from Mark’s academy, who are from abroad in general and not just the USA, have a chance of making Ian’s squad but some are carrying injuries and some are not quite ready for competitive games.”

Bell added: “Ian and Grant are doing a very good job with all the players that are here and they have a strong work ethic that is getting through.

“There are nice ripples going through the club and we are all looking forward to this season, which we haven’t been able to say over the last couple of years.”