LATEST City recruit Paul Anderson is preaching patience to fans eager to see the club get off to a flier.

Phil Parkinson is still looking to increase numbers with just five days to go to the League One opener at Swindon. Jussi Jaaskelainen is under consideration for the goalkeeping vacancy and the pursuit of another centre half goes on.

Anderson became the seventh summer signing on Saturday before watching his new team lose 2-0 at Burnley in the final friendly.

The former Ipswich winger has dropped a level to what he claims are the biggest club in the division. But he has warned supporters about expecting too much too soon.

Anderson said: “The reason why I’m here is because I want to be in the Championship if not higher. I think the foundations are there.

“But it might not happen straight away. The fans need to be patient because there have been a few changes within the club.

“Players have been coming in and going out and it takes time.

“I think we’ve got a very good chance of doing something but the fans have to let the players bed in.

“There are players who probably haven’t trained.

“I’m a naturally fit lad but I’ve trained once all summer. I’ve done my own personal training but it’s not the same.”

Anderson first met Parkinson in June and was impressed by how he sold City’s ambitions. But the 27-year-old made it clear he wanted to stay in the Championship.

Opportunities failed to materialise and when Filipe Morais picked up his season-ending injury, the Bantams chief was back in touch.

Anderson admitted: “At the start of the summer, League One hadn’t even entered my mind. I’ve played seven years in the Championship and just had two great seasons at Ipswich.

“I had a few irons in the fire with Championship teams but it was getting later and later and I wasn’t waiting around anymore.

“The gaffer had been very fair and told me to see if there were other options because obviously we all want to be playing as high as possible. But just don’t leave it too late.

“Unfortunately with the injury with Filipe they’ve had to find someone else to bring in and I was still available. We managed to get it all ironed out and here I am.

“It’s been a weird summer but if I was coming to League One, it had to be a big club and I think Bradford are possibly the biggest.

“The lads have done brilliantly the last couple of years with the cup runs and nearly getting into the play-offs. They’ve bought into what the club are trying to do and it seems to be run very well.

“There was the disappointment of the financial issues in the past but the manager and board are all going the right way of getting the club back to where it should be.

"With the amount of season-tickets sold, it shows the size of the club. That's better than a lot of Championship teams.”

The potential size of the Valley Parade crowd was a pulling factor for Anderson as much as the persuasive approach of Parkinson.

“They talk about the 12th man all the time and I think it is massive.

“On a cold Tuesday night when things aren’t quite going your way and you get 18,000 fans behind you rather than 1,800 it will help big time.

“It was a big factor in my move and the gaffer was well. He’s been absolutely spot on from start to finish.

“I’ve got a lot of time for him as a man. I don’t know what he’s like yet as a manager but I’m looking forward to finding out.”