DANNY Rowe is ready to seize his City chance after admitting he wondered if his big break in the EFL would ever come.

Rowe is hoping to make his debut at Cambridge tomorrow as the Bantams prepare for their first game for 25 days.

It is only a year since the striker’s prolific scoring record in non-league finally earned him a move up the football pyramid to Oldham.

Rowe, who turns 32 next week, revealed that he did have doubts that he would get the chance to play in the top four divisions.

“I did think it in my time at Fylde,” said Rowe, who scored 189 goals in 290 games for the Coasters.

“As much as I was enjoying it there, we were always up there in the table and I was scoring goals, I did want to leave as well before it was too late.

“I’m from the area and it would have been good for me at the time to have been promoted with Fylde.

“We were in the play-offs and we were close. But it wasn’t going to happen the year I did leave. It was a case of having to leave before it was too late.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the Football League so I had to force it because that’s what I wanted to do.

“There was interest to take me probably every year I was at Fylde.

“They had contact and offers from what I was aware of. But I was under contract and that was that.

“Nothing was ever agreed up until Oldham came in.”

Rowe had signed for Manchester United’s academy on the same day as Tom Cleverley. But he was released at 16 and forced to take up a joinery apprenticeship on a building site in his native Blackpool.

“That made me want to kick on with football, realising what I wanted to do and what I didn’t.

“I’d work all week and then play for Blackpool Wren Rovers in the West Lancashire League on the Saturday and for a Sunday league team called Quilligans. It was just playing local football with my friends.

“A lot of them have wished me well on social media. They were part of my journey and are happy for me coming to Bradford.

“A lot of people look (down) at non-league but I had good times there and enjoyed what I was doing.

“People might look at my body language and say different things but I’ve literally enjoyed it at every club I’ve been at in my football career.

“It’s never been a case of ‘he wants to jump up because he can’t stand playing in non-league’.”

Rowe credits Oldham boss Harry Kewell for improving him as a player as he prepares to deal with the high expectations from City fans excited by his arrival.

He added: “Harry Kewell was good for me and developed me. Over this season, he’s made me a better player in seeing things in different ways.

“I don’t want to put pressure on myself but I’ve come here to do well.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’m happy to go in if I play this weekend and hit the ground running.”

Rowe could get the nod straight away with the Bantams monitoring the fitness of Lee Novak.

Joint-interim boss Conor Sellars confirmed the top scorer was among a couple of players “touch and go” for the trip to Cambridge as City hope to play their first competitive action of 2021 after three successive postponements.

Midfielder Harry Pritchard is among those who will miss out through injury.