Peter Beagrie may be concentrating on ensuring Premiership survival for Everton, but he says he will never forget his time with Bradford City.

The 32-year-old joined Everton on loan until the end of the season in a transfer deadline day move which left Bantams fans stunned.

This season has been a huge success for the winger who had been dogged by injury for the previous two campaigns with today's visitors to Valley Parade, Manchester City.

Beagrie has played 32 league and cup games for Bradford and impressed with his wide array of skills out wide but says playing in the Premiership again is a dream come true.

"I re-joined Everton four years to the day since I left Goodison Park for Manchester City. I have a lot of admiration for Howard Kendall and I want to do well for him.

"Bradford has been a great move for me. I have enjoyed it tremendously and it has helped me get playing again. And I know that if it doesn't work out here then I can go back in the summer.

"It has been an eventful few months for Bradford. The tremendous team spirit is probably the best memory although it was good to go top of the league earlier in the season."

The suddenness of his move to Merseyside has caught him out. "I had arranged with Uwe Rosler for us to go out after today's game with Manchester City. It is a shame because I was looking forward to playing against City."

And after spending three happy years at Maine Road, the Blues' precarious position fills Peter Beagrie with an overwhelming feeling of sadness. He is also under no illusions as to when the rot set in - the appointment of Alan Ball.

Beagrie said: "The biggest disappointment in the time I was there was the turnover of managers and the choice of managers. They picked Alan Ball when realistically he never had any pedigree in winning anything as a manager. No-one can doubt his pedigree as a player but he couldn't deal with big-time players.

"He took the confidence away from the players there at the time. His reign had a knock on effect. City had players who had been in the Premiership the year before while playing outstanding attacking football. But he came and made us lose our flair and tried to make us hard to beat.

"Paul Walsh and Uwe Rosler suffered and I suffered through injury. That, in turn, was bad for Niall Quinn because he had lack of service.

"Nicky Summerbee also lost his confidence and Alan Ball did nothing for him.

And his abiding memory of Ball? "The incident I recall could be classed as slander.

"He stood up at an AGM and was asked 'What about Peter Beagrie? We haven't heard in the press how he is'.

"He said 'Peter Beagrie's problem is not in his knee, it is in his head'. I was undergoing my second knee operation at the time so that was nice while I was worrying about my career. It is something I will never forget."

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