Rookie Tom Penford has been backed to come of age next season - by the man who kept him out of the City side.

Steven Schumacher, who completed his move to Crewe Alexandra last week, has urged new boss Stuart McCall to give the fringe midfielder a crack in League Two.

"There are a lot of good young players at City and I hope they get a chance, especially the likes of Tom Penford," he said.

"He is a good player and hopefully he'll get a lot of games.

"Tom's Bradford through and through, been there for years and with the likes of me and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson going, maybe now he'll get a decent shot.

"I know Stuart McCall will want to bring people in but Tom certainly deserves an opportunity in the first team and I reckon he'd go well."

Penford, 22, has only made sporadic appearances for City since debuting at Preston four years ago, struggling to rack up 13 starts and 12 games off the bench.

He was restricted to just three matches last season, including the final game against Millwall when he actually operated alongside Schumacher in the heart of the City midfield.

He believes the Academy product could now blossom though and establish himself as City's general following the recent clear-out.

Schumacher is the first to go, having signed a three-year deal to stay in League One at Crewe, but he insisted: "I wish City all the best.

"I'm hoping Stuart McCall will go in and stabilise the club and the chairman gives him a bit of money to put a squad together to try and get out of that league.

"Bradford City are a big club and it shouldn't really be playing that low. There's some great lads in that dressing room and they all want to work hard for Bradford. I've every confidence they'll do well."

Meanwhile, the former Everton trainee is excited by the challenge of playing at City's former League One rivals.

Schumacher, speaking while on holiday in the USA, didn't hesitate in signing the deal after taking just one look at Crewe.

"I was flying out to California on Tuesday but knew Crewe were interested," he said.

"I'd spoken to their people and they arranged a meeting on Bank Holiday Monday.

"I went over, they showed me around the training ground and I had a chat with Dario Gradi.

"I went there with every intention of just listening to what they had to say but I was so impressed with the set-up - everything is first-class, right up to Premiership standard - and with Dario, that I just signed there and then. I was made up."

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