NEW signing Matthew Kilgallon brings a wealth of experience to the Bantams.

He is dropping down into League One for the first time, having spent all his career in the Premier League or Championship.

He made his name at City's neighbours Leeds where he was first inspired by the young United side that reached the 2001 Champions League semi-finals.

David O'Leary's men faced the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Lazio under the lights at Elland Road as they cut a swathe through Europe's elite.

“I was a ball-boy and only 15 or 16 on a YTS,” said the central defender after his training session as a Bantams player this week.

“It was a crazy time and Leeds were beating everyone in Europe and in the Premier League.

“They had so many great players – Ferdinand, Woodgate, Kewell, Bowyer, Batty, Viduka and Dacourt.

“Watching Ferdinand and Woodgate was fantastic and you do try and copy them.

“Their reading of the game, timing, positional sense and class on the ball was something you could only learn from.

“It was such a laugh at training as well. They were good times.”

Leeds’ painful fall from grace since then has been well documented – they gambled on getting back into the Champions League and it backfired.

Cue a financial meltdown which led to relegation from the Premier League and three seasons in League One.

“I started getting in the team when it all started going a little bit wrong, which helped me in a way,” added Kilgallon.

“Terry Venables gave me my debut in the UEFA Cup and Eddie Gray handed me my first chance in the Premier League.

“When we got relegated, I started playing regularly in the Championship.

“We got to the 2006 play-off final but lost 3-0 to Watford and I left the following season.

“I thought I would always be at Leeds because of how good they were when I was growing up there but it was time to go because a Premier League team came in for me.

“It seems Leeds are still struggling a bit now, although they have got a good manager in Garry Monk.

“Of course they will always be in my heart because I was a supporter and I played for them.

“But I always look out for the results of teams I've played for anyway.”

Kilgallon signed for Sheffield United in January 2007 but they were relegated straight back to the Championship at the end of that season.

The 32-year-old remembered: “We were well clear on the bottom three but all of a sudden West Ham brought in Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

“Tevez didn't stop scoring and on the final day, we lost at home to Wigan and West Ham won 1-0 at Old Trafford. That was it, we were down.”

Then came a move to Sunderland under Steve Bruce.

Kilgallon said: “I had three-and-a-half years there, although I didn't play as much as I wanted to.

“I played a bit under Martin O'Neill and Paolo Di Canio before my contract wasn't renewed and I joined Blackburn in July 2013.”

York-born Kilgallon struggled for game-time at Ewood Park last season, making barely a dozen appearances.

But a move back to West Yorkshire with the Bantams suits him just fine.

He lives in Knaresborough and has signed a one-year deal with the option for a second year.

Crucially, the desire to succeed is still there and Kilgallon believes City can be up there challenging.

Kilgallon added: “I think we need a few more players in – everyone knows that – but I don't see why we can't compete for promotion.”