Harry Lewis joins Carlisle from Bantams for undisclosed fee

The keeper’s move has been confirmed on a two-and-a-half year deal and he is set to make his debut in League One for the Cumbrians against Oxford on Saturday.

The Bantams have already unveiled his replacement with experienced Sam Walker joining on an 18-month contract.

“I have absolutely loved my time here,” said Lewis. “It is a fantastic football club and will always be the place that gave me the opportunity to show what I can do and live my dream.

“Bradford City has a special place in my heart and I am very grateful to everyone inside the building and, of course, all the supporters for the welcome they gave me.

“I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to represent this football club and work with so many great people.

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“This was an opportunity that came up which I felt I could not turn down from mine and my family’s point of view. Hopefully, we will cross paths again in League One next season.”

Mark Hughes signed Lewis from his former club Southampton in the summer of 2022 and he went on to become a mainstay as number one.

Lewis, an immensely popular character with the fans, was on the pitch for every minute of last season – his first full one in English football – and kept 19 clean sheets as City reached the play-offs.

Ironically, they would bow out at his new Brunton Park home in the semi-finals.

Lewis made 86 appearances in total for the Bantams, including all 72 league games, with 28 shut-outs – the last against leaders Stockport on December 29.

Harry Lewis concedes against Carlisle in last season's play-offs (Image: PA)

City chief executive Ryan Sparks said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Harry for his services to our football club. It goes without saying that I wish him and his family well for the future.

“Harry had an opportunity to move to a League One club in the summer, though we rejected the offer.

“On this occasion, we have received an acceptable bid, and Harry wished to take up the opportunity in a higher division.

“He has been a top professional during his time at the club, building great relationships with everyone he has come across.

“I am proud of the way in which he took his opportunity here, playing such a key role for us over the past 18 months.”

Boss Graham Alexander said: "In the modern game, you know the player or his agent are potentially aware. We always have quite a transparent operation with players.

"It was an offer that was acceptable for the club. Harry expressed a desire to investigate it further - it was good for him in terms of moving up a league and from a personal point of view.

"He wanted to pursue it and, from that point on, it was a deal that happens in most transfer windows. All the parties were reasonably comfortable.

"We had to make sure we had our plan in place to replace a good player with another good player."

Carlisle manager Paul Simpson revealed that he had looked at Lewis before he arrived at Valley Parade – but was priced out of it.

“Harry only came into the actual equation over the last few weeks,” he told the News and Star.

“He's a player who we talked about (previously). The season before last when I first got the job permanently, we talked about Harry because he was on a free from Southampton, but the truth of it was we couldn't match the deal that Bradford gave him and so he went to Bradford City.

“But once we found out that he was definitely going to be available and once we got permission to speak to him, it was all done very, very quickly because he literally jumped at the opportunity.

“He was delighted to come. He knows the situation we're in but he's up for the challenge. And he wants to do everything he possibly can with the rest of the group to try and make sure we stay in League One.”