EOIN Doyle reckons that playing as a target man was why it didn’t work out for him at City.

The Irishman heads back to Valley Parade with Bolton this weekend for the first time since he left 14 months ago.

Doyle bagged his 13th goal of the season at Oldham on Tuesday – their sixth win on the bounce.

But while he is flying high with his current club, the striker admits the Bantams did not see the best of him.

“They played me as a target man and I don’t like heading the ball,” he said. “It was as simple as that.

“I have got a lot of friends still there and they are a good bunch of lads but for me, personally, it wasn’t a great time on the pitch.

“I did enjoy my time at Bradford and they are definitely a good club, so if both of us went up it’d be ideal for me.”

Doyle scored 11 in his first season at City as they finished bottom of League One.

He then spent most of the last campaign with Swindon, initially on loan before making the move permanent at the end of January. He topped League Two with 25 goals.

Bolton have shot from 19th to sixth in the space of five weeks – a charge Doyle credits to their signings in the recent transfer window.

Speaking to our sister paper The Bolton News, he said: “There’s more confidence. I think we had the best window in the whole league to be honest.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Eoin Doyle's last goal for City against Scunthorpe in April 2019. Picture: Thomas Gadd Eoin Doyle's last goal for City against Scunthorpe in April 2019. Picture: Thomas Gadd

“The lads who came in have done brilliantly as well, they have really got on to what the gaffer wants to do and they’re enjoying it out there.

“The league isn’t as strong as it has been. A few weeks ago, we felt like we were capable of doing this type of thing because of how the league is and the way it has been different this year.

“Thankfully it has all come together and we have just been quietly going about our business.

“We’re pretty much a possession-based team now, so I don’t get to touch the ball much and that suits me down to the ground.

“It means I can stay in the box and sniff things out, it’s ideal for me.

“I’m more of a poacher so there hasn’t been any magical goals, they’ve been more tap-ins.”