Maybe it’s just the wide-eyed enthusiasm of someone still a relatively new kid on the block. Give it a few more years and maybe the response won’t seem quite so keen.

Most players look forward to seeing their mates again at the start of pre-season but few will admit to actually enjoying the prospect of the hard graft ahead. James Hanson, though, could not wait to get busy.

Hanson, City’s star turn in his first year on the professional circuit, was ticking off the days until last Thursday’s first work-out at Apperley Bridge.

“It’s good to be around the lads again after getting so much time off. To be honest, I get bored with it,” said the lanky striker.

“I’ve only had one holiday and people like Rammers (Simon Ramsden) went on four, so he probably didn’t want to come back!

“But I was desperate to get back to training. You can only do so much at the gym for a couple of hours a day and then you’re bored again by the afternoon.

“It’s not the same at all. It feels right to be back to work, even if Flynny (Michael Flynn) hasn’t improved with his banter.”

Twelve months ago, Hanson was still on a holiday booked well before City came knocking with the offer of a pre-season trial. It meant he was always playing catch-up fitness-wise with the rest of the squad while still trying to make a positive impression at the same time.

He faces no such dilemma this year. Hanson, with a freshly-inked four-year deal under his arm, has become a significant figure and made sure he returned in optimum condition after regular jogging jaunts with Chris Brandon around Idle.

Hanson said: “It’s very different for me compared with last season. I missed the first week and half and all the running you do.

“By the time I got there, it was straight into games, so it took time to adjust. Hopefully getting all this running done this time will make me fitter and sharper for when the games start.

“I’d done quite a lot of running with Brando anyway. He’s naturally a fit lad, so I’ve been trying to keep up with him.

“But hopefully it put me in good stead for the first few days back. Every one of the lads came back in good shape. Nobody has been struggling behind in the runs.”

Hanson’s stock has risen and not just within the club. Rival defenders know all about his game now and there will be no element of surprise when free-kicks are targeting the big man.

Peter Taylor says it is the next step up the ladder for Hanson to handle that extra attention and continue to thrive. The striker is ready to meet the challenge.

He said: “I’ve had that before at Guiseley. The manager there said it would be more difficult for me in the second season but I ended up scoring more.

“Other people will know what to expect, especially at set-pieces and things like that, but I’m always confident of scoring goals.

“I should have scored more from open play last season, and I’ve got to work on finishing, but I’m sure that will come.”

Hanson’s immediate aim is playing in City’s opening friendly against his old club Eccleshill.

He was back at Plumpton Park recently to do some training – and received some good-natured stick from the home players.

Hanson laughed: “There were a few of the Eccleshill first team saying they were going to take me out when we played them!

“But it’s good for the community that Bradford are bringing a strong team up. They are expecting a couple of thousand at the game.

“Eccleshill are a good club and two of my little cousins play up there. I’m really looking forward to it.

“Pre-season has started well. You look at the squad the gaffer is building and it’s almost all in place.

“Stuart (McCall) had a lot of trialists, so he couldn’t get his squad prepared, but we can start working on tactics now and things like that, so the signs are good for the season.”