The club yesterday confirmed the signing of Aberdeen central defender Rory McArdle on a two-year contract. The 25-year-old former Sheffield Wednesday & Rochdale player was released by SPL side Aberdeen following the expiry of his contract. City boss Phil Parkinson said of his second close-season signing: “Rory is a good signing for us. We have been speaking to him for a couple of weeks now and we’re thrilled to have his signature. He has been successful at this level (with Rochdale) and he has good recent experience of playing up in Scotland with Aberdeen. He’s a committed player, he’s hungry to success, and that’s what we are looking for. The more players we can get on board with that hunger and desire ingrained in them, like Rory, the better.”
Speaking on the clubs Bantam Player, McArdle said: “Once I heard about the opportunity to come here, I jumped at the chance. Everything the gaffer had to say to me before I signed was nice and positive. His ambitions for the club were very impressive and made me feel like it was something I was wanted to be part of. Everyone knows about the stature of a club like Bradford. The fans maybe haven’t had the success they’ve deserved in recent years but hopefully that can change now with the gaffer putting his stamp on things this summer. With the calibre of the players we have here already and the players that we have brought in, like Andrew Davies, there’s no reason why we can’t look to have a good season.”