City’s fitness guru is already making significant strides, according to Peter Jackson.

The Bantams boss accused his team of being too sluggish last season and has vowed to get the players fitter for the new term.

He recruited specialist Nick Allanby for pre-season and has been impressed by the early results.

Jackson said: “Nick has done a really good job drawing up a core stability programme. The players are being worked very hard but they are enjoying it as well.

“The club have backed me financially to bring him in and I appreciate that. Fitness coaches have become more and more important over the last five or six years.

“You need to mix the fitness side with the football and Nick will be here for the whole of pre-season. Then he’ll probably still come in once or twice a week.”

Allanby previously worked with City number two Colin Cooper at Middlesbrough, where he was head of fitness and conditioning.

Allanby said: “Colin and the manager both looked at the squad at the end of last season and felt that if they could get them physically prepared to their desired standard, it would give them the best possible chance for this year.

“For my job to be a success, I know that you need to have a manager and coaching staff that are in tune with your own ideas of fitness.”