DAVID Hopkin insists he was right to wait for the City hot-seat to come along.

The Scot takes charge of his first game this afternoon against Blackpool after just over three months out of football.

Having led Livingston to back-to-back promotions, he walked away at the end of his contract in May.

Hopkin was linked to several vacancies, including Shrewsbury and Carlisle, but was not tempted to dive back in.

He said: “You speak to anyone in football and they know me. I’m very comfortable, I make my own decisions about what I want to do.

“I’ve got a lot of friends at big clubs who are chief executives and that and they started laughing when I left because they knew me well.

“I didn’t come out and start doing media saying I want to do this and that.

“They knew I was prepared to wait for the right opportunity and this is the right one for me.”

Hopkin feels the inexperienced nature within City’s squad would have put off some. But he is relishing the chance to develop youngsters as he did so successfully in Scotland.

“I looked at the squad and maybe a lot of experienced coaches wouldn’t like the look of it because there are a lot of young boys.

“But that gives me more satisfaction of seeing players develop in the long term.

“If they can get in Bradford City’s first team, that’s what Edin (Rahic) and Stefan (Rupp) are looking for and maybe sell one or two players on.

“I’ve never worked with a big budget but that’s the real world.

“If you can coach and manage and can make younger players better, then that’s it.

“I’ll give everybody an opportunity at the club and it’s up to them to take it.

“I’ve told every young player that they are in the plans. If they come in and prepare themselves right, prepared to work hard and listen, they have a chance on a Saturday.”

Hopkin has received plenty of well wishes from his former club – and points to that as proof of the man-management skills he believes will revive City’s fortunes over time.

“I look at the support I’ve had in the last few days – 97 per cent have sent a message congratulating me on the job. The other three haven’t got my number!” he laughed.

“But it’s because I had a really good relationship with the players. I’m good at man-managing.

“They know that I’m fair – but there’s a line you don’t cross.

“I’m always one for pushing people. I always want to get the best out of players.

“We’ve got a lot of good young players at Bradford, 17, 18 and 19-year-olds and they need to be nurtured.

“They need to make sure that if we put them on the pitch on a Saturday, it’s a positive for the fans not a negative.”

Blackpool caretaker boss Terry McPhillips admitted Hopkin’s arrival will spice up the Bloomfield Road clash.

He said: “We always study the opposition and we’ve shown the lads some of what they do, but it’s all out of the window now isn’t it?

“The new manager is there and he’s got a proven record of his teams being organised and competing, running, chasing and fighting. That is what it will be all about for starters.”