GREG Abbott senses City new boy Alex Jones is “desperate” to grab the goal-scoring limelight at Valley Parade.

The Bantams last night swooped for the Birmingham striker on an undisclosed fee, beating off other League One clubs for the 22-year-old.

Jones, who signed a deal until 2019, banged in ten goals in 21 games on loan for Port Vale – and he cannot wait to pick up the mantle for his new club.

Lack of goals has been the big drawback for Stuart McCall’s side so far but chief scout Abbott insists the new recruit will not worry about the expectation.

He said: “Alex has been watching the results since we expressed an interest and he’s been thinking ‘I can get the goals for Bradford’.

“He’s got a real youthful enthusiasm about it. He really wants to come in and score the goals.

“He loves the fact this is a terrific club in name throughout the country.

“You are almost desperate for him to do well because his desperation is to do well for this football club.

“It’s really refreshing to hear a player saying how happy he wants to make people by scoring goals and how hard he’s going to work to achieve that.

“We’ve all looked at Alex and his qualities. It’s an exciting signing.

“Everything is in front of him and hopefully we will get the benefit of that improvement on his career path.”

Abbott believes Jones can emulate the progress of fellow Yorkshire striker Sam Winnall, who was discarded by Wolves as a youngster but is now earning the plaudits with Barnsley.

Winnall was today named the Championship's player of the month for December.

Abbott added: “Nobody wanted him when he left Wolves, nobody took him up when he was available for £500 and now he’s a £1m player and one of the most sought after outside the Premier League.

“No pressure but Alex reminds me of him.

“We would love somebody with experience to score goals in the league season after season but they come at an absolute premium. But Alex is one that could become one of our own.

“There have been some really good names thrown at us from top Premier League teams that have never played league football.

“The position Stuart has got the team in, we probably need to give him more guarantee that (a new striker) will be able to handle the level and the intensity and physicality of League One.

“The starlets at these clubs might not be the right way. But what we’ve got is a young one with all his career ahead of him but has sampled over 20 games – and excelled at it.

“He knows what it’s all about and there’s only improvement to be made in him.”