DEREK Adams wants to build a team of fighters at City – and won’t mind if they upset rivals along the way.

The new Valley Parade boss has a reputation for not backing down from a confrontation during a successful managerial career that has won him four promotions.

And he is keen to instill that “us against the world” mentality into a club that have been on the decline over recent years.

"The reason is because I want to win and I don't think there is anything wrong with that,” he said.

“There is no point being the manager of a football club if you don't want to win and upset people. If you are going to upset people in the opposition dug-out and on the field of play, then I am only trying to do the best for my football club at that moment in time.”

Quotes from Gareth Evans resurfaced this week from five years ago when he was at Portsmouth and revealed that he did not like Adams during their height of their rivalry with Plymouth.

But the Scot, who has signed a three-year deal, has no issue with the City midfielder about what was said in the past – and admitted that is the edge he is looking for in his team.

Adams added: “Listen, when you are a manager or a player and you’re playing Portsmouth against Plymouth, I would expect something like that.

“When you are fighting against each other, that is what happens and I am no different fighting for Bradford City Football Club for 90 minutes on a Saturday.

“I couldn't care who the opposition are or who is in the opposition dug-out. I am fighting for this football club and he was doing exactly the same for Portsmouth and I would expect nothing less.

"Do I like it? I was going to say no, but I probably do. I think that you need to have that in your armoury as you need your team to be fighters.

“You need teams to work hard and you want to see what you are as a manager and possibly a wee bit as a player out there on the pitch.”

Adams will head back to Scotland for a few days but the work in rebuilding the squad has started already – and mentality will feature high with the team he aims to assemble.

“You need strong people mentally and physically because when you have the supporters back in here, they want to see winning football and I think that is why you have to recruit the players that are capable of dealing with that.

“You cannot get a break as a football manager, it is impossible. It is full-on now into trying to recruit players into the coming season.”

Adams’ approach has drawn comparisons among City fans with Phil Parkinson and the 45-year-old admits he would love to emulate those past glories.

"Phil did a magnificent job for this football club with his style of play, his winning style of play.

“We all remember the runs his side went on, even in the FA Cup as well. That it something we have to try and get back to and that is what I am here to try and do.

“We know the pressures involved and no-one has to tell me that.

"As a football manager, I went to Plymouth and they wanted to get out of League Two into League One and the Championship.

“When you are a manager, you want to come to stadiums like this, have it packed and see your team playing good football and scoring goals and that's what we will try and do.

“I know how to get out of this division, I have showed that. It is a very difficult division to get out of as you have to play different styles at times.”

Adams is the first boss City have paid compensation for since Nicky Law left Chesterfield for Valley Parade 20 years ago.

Having taken Morecambe up at Wembley on Monday, they are getting a promotion-winning manager.

But another major selling point for chief executive Ryan Sparks was Adams’ experience of four years at Plymouth – another big club who were in League Two.

Adams knows from that time at Home Park how opponents will raise their game coming to the grandest arenas in the fourth tier.

"When some clubs come here, it is a cup final and that is something as a player we have got to understand and approach the game in a different way.

“If that is the case, you have got to be better than the opposition on the day. It is a huge respect, but it is 11 against 11 and up to them to get the better of the opposition.

"You need players who understand the venue of football clubs and understand the pressure that they are going to be under. That is no different for a manager.”