Lewis Emanuel's agent today hit back at chairman Gordon Gibb's claims that the City defender has been badly advised.

Emanuel put in a transfer request after turning down a three-year contract offer. Gibb called it a case of "the agent spitting the dummy".

But former City skipper Peter Jackson, who represents the 19-year-old, today responded over the club's "derisory" deal.

Jackson said: "It is a very straightforward case of the improvement offered - given that Lewis is already one of the lowest-paid players at the club - is insufficient.

"I refute the allegations that he has been badly advised. The decision not to accept the deal and to put in a transfer request was arrived at after lengthy discussions with Lewis' family.

"Our involvement is very much necessary when the club have utilised the services of the player on an extremely low salary and by their own admission simply 'want to get the paperwork done.'

"It is my position to protect the player's interests. In this particular case, as there is no compromise from the club, the player is left with no choice."

Although the new offer remains on the table, Gibb said City would now exercise a two-year option on Emanuel's current contract, but feared the teenager could be affected by the row - a point refuted by Jackson.

He added: "The chairman believes the player should simply accept what is on offer and that 'the next contract he signs will be an extremely lucrative one.' If this is the case, then why were there not lucrative increases included in his offer spanning the same period of time over which he would expect to earn a new deal?

"The transfer request is not designed to cause a stir, as the chairman claimed, but is simply a correct and factual way to deal with our client's response to what he and we believe was a derisory offer.

"There is absolutely no need for any of these amateur dramatics. The player is happy to continue to do what he has always done, which is to give 100 per cent to Bradford City until such time as a better contract is offered or indeed a transfer affected."

l City last night bowed out of the FA Premier Reserves League with a 5-0 home loss to Manchester City. Next season they will play in the Pontins Holiday League Premier Division.