GARY Bowyer is the right man to get City straight back up, says Ben Richards-Everton.

The former Accrington centre half was the first signing of Bowyer’s summer spree as the squad rebuild began following relegation.

And Richards-Everton is convinced the Bantams have the ideal manager for the League Two fight ahead.

He said: “I get on well with Gary and like the way he speaks.

“It’s not just about the team and the stature of the club, it’s a lot to do with the manager and how he thinks.

“He’s definitely up for the job of getting this club back to where they need to be.

“I know he’s got my best interests at heart and he’s spoken about areas where he wants to make me better.

“So, I knew that it was a good move coming here. Gary’s the right manager not just for the team but for me personally.”

Having sorted his own situation by mid-May, Richards-Everton has had the time to bed himself in at his new club as well as monitor the arrivals that have followed.

He knows there is a heavy weight of expectation going into the season – and accepts that as part of the job from being at Valley Parade.

The players have already had a taste of the big-crowd atmosphere after a modern-day record attendance watched the recent friendly against Liverpool. Richards-Everton had an effort disallowed in the game but relished the occasion.

“We’ve got to thrive off that,” he added. “We’ve got to live up to the expectation.

“People are going to be coming to Bradford and playing in front of a big crowd. The manager knows the personnel that can handle that kind of pressure.

“You’ve got to be able to stand up to that. If results don’t go the way you want, it’s down to us as players to bounce back and show the fans our intentions to get promoted.

“I just think it’s important to get that certain type of player who can handle the demands of the fans.

“I’m looking forward to it. I wish it was better circumstances (than League Two) but it’s exciting.”