JORDAN Lilley today revealed that his close rapport with the Bulls faithful convinced him to make Odsal his home.

The half-back admitted the warmth of the backing from fans was a major factor in him penning a permanent two-year deal at the club.

Lilley rejected rival offers from Super League and the Championship to stick with the Bulls, where he is currently on a season-long loan from Leeds.

Recap: Live blog from the Bulls v Halifax press conference

It is a major boost for the club going into Sunday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final showdown with Halifax.

Lilley is pleased to have his future sorted – and paid his own compliment for the support he has received.

He said: “After experiencing the Leeds game and the crowd and what Bradford are building here, it persuaded me to want to stay here.

“There were a few other options in the pipeline but it made the decision easy when I sat down with John (Kear) and discussed the terms and stuff. It was a no-brainer to stick around.”

Lilley delivered an outstanding display in the sixth-round upset against his former club Rhinos that booked the Bulls’ place in the last eight.

The atmosphere in that game underlined the bond he can sense at Odsal.

Lilley added: “I’ve felt welcome since the minute I walked through the doors.

“As a lad from Leeds, most people look at it as coming from an enemy team. But the Bradford fans have been brilliant, singing and chanting about me.

“It’s a great experience when you run out and hear that and I’ve seen on social media how much they’ve wanted me to sign.

“That had an impact in persuading me to stay. I felt like a Bradford player in the last 18 months since I’ve been here.”

Lilley had an initial loan in 2017 when Geoff Toovey’s team were relegated to League One after being hit with a 12-point deduction.

Having experienced those lows, he can now appreciate the progress the Bulls are looking to make.

“I saw the club when they were at the lowest point they could possibly be in,” he said.

“It wasn’t a nice place to be. But I’ve come back a second time and seen what they are trying to build here.

“I’ve signed this deal because I want to be in that team that takes Bradford back to Super League. I’m glad I’ve got it out the way now and can focus on the job in hand for the next two years.”

Kear is confident there is more to come from a player who has already become one of the first names on the team sheet.

The Bulls coach said: “If you’re going to write a profile of a club that’s got to rebuild and re-emerge in order to become great again, you do it with young men who are hungry and will improve.

“Jordan fits that profile completely and he is going to get better. How good is he going to be in three years’ time?

“That’s what we’ve got to look at. We can assist that development and now obviously benefit from it as well.”