SHAY McCartan and Jordan Gibson have come back to a “new” City after their loans.

McCartan spent the whole of last season with Lincoln, scoring seven goals to help them win the League Two title.

Gibson joined Stevenage during the January transfer window and made six appearances with one goal.

Gary Bowyer succeeded David Hopkin in the Valley Parade helm while they were both away on loan but insists places are there to be won as he welcomed them back in the pre-season fold.

And he believes they have noticed a much-changed environment from the place they left.

Bowyer said: “They are Bradford City players and it’s a clean slate for them as it has been with everybody here since I came in. I gave everybody a fair chance last season.

“I sat down with the pair of them on day one and expressed my thoughts.

“They have both come back and, to be fair, have done well in training. As with any player, it’s up to them.

“They’ve both come back and realised it’s a different club to when they left.

“We’ve made massive changes to the training ground. That’s been really good and automatically sets the tone.

“We’ve put a bit of TLC into the building and to our section of it. We have a great relationship with the (Woodhouse Grove) school and they’ve allowed us to put one or two bits and bobs around and make some changes.

“It has an impact. We’ve got information up on the walls to tell the players about the history of the club, the success it’s had in recent years and the great players who’ve played here.”

Bowyer’s makeover of the training base includes putting up displays about the “history makers” team and boards featuring City club records and notable achievements.

He feels it is vital that the players understand the ethos of the club and how much it means to the fans and the city.

Bowyer added: “You can’t change the history. It's there for all to see and you’ve got to be proud of it.

“We educate them on the successes and obviously the story of the fire, that’s been so well documented to highlight the events of that terrible day.

“I think it’s important the new players quickly understand the connection between the fans and the club because of that.

“One of the big things I learned last year from the supporters was their pride in the shirt. That stuck with me throughout the summer.

“You look at the signings and the ones that we’ve brought in I feel can certainly carry that expectation, none more so than James Vaughan.”