BRADFORD (Park Avenue) have signed former Bantams youngster and Sierra Leone international Daniel Francis.

The left-back was part of a City side containing Reece Staunton and Kian Scales that reached the FA Youth Cup fourth round in 2019/20.

But he left Valley Parade soon after to play club football in Germany, his mother’s birthplace.

He has turned out for both Rot Weiss Ahlen and KFC Uerdingen 05 in the Regionalliga over the last couple of years.

Francis’ father is from Sierra Leone, and he was called up by the country for the first time in 2021, making his debut in a goalless draw against Ethiopia that August.

The full-back also featured in a 2-0 defeat to Comoros that November.

A couple of months later, Francis, born in Bradford, had the experience of a lifetime.

He was part of the Sierra Leone squad that played in the African Cup of Nations, alongside the likes of former Swansea, Tottenham and Liverpool centre-half Steven Caulker.

Francis is still in contention for the national side, with his last call-up coming in June 2023, where he made the bench for an international clash against Nigeria.

The now 22-year-old made his Avenue debut on Saturday, as they welcomed Eccleshill United to Horsfall following a 5-2 win at Campion in their pre-season opener last Tuesday.

Joe Crosby provided a real creative spark in that impressive victory at Scotchman Road, and he opened the scoring for the hosts after only 15 minutes at the weekend.

But Eccleshill fought back impressively, and managed to equalise through an Avenue own goal early in the second half.

Neither side were able to find a winner, with Bradford’s next friendly coming at Wakefield AFC tomorrow night.

A trialist was on the bench for Avenue on Saturday, and it remains to be seen whether he features in Wakefield, and whether he is announced as a permanent signing.