Bradford (Park Avenue) sign former Salford and Stockport man

They have also tied young Australian Ryley D’Sena down to a new one-year deal, after he impressed at Horsfall at the back end of last season.

Askew, at 26, joined Salford seven years ago, while were making their way up the divisions under the new Class of ’92 ownership, consisting of, among others, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes.

The left back played 37 times for Salford as they won National League North in 2017/18, a season which saw Avenue make the play-offs in the same division.

He went on to play for a host of Greater Manchester-based clubs, including a loan spell at now League One side Stockport County, where he helped them to the National League North title too.

Askew, who came through Blackburn Rovers' youth set-up, has gone on to have a good career in semi-professional football, also turning out for the likes of Chester, Curzon Ashton and Hyde United.

But he is now playing in Yorkshire for the first time, and brings some real non-league experience to Avenue’s fairly youthful playing squad.

As for defender D’Sena, he arrived at Avenue in February, producing a number of eye-catching displays as Avenue fought what looked to be a seemingly impossible battle against relegation from the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Ryley D'Sena playing for Avenue against Ashton United last season. (Image: John Rhodes.)

In the end, Danny Whitaker’s side did suffer the drop, but only in the penultimate game of the campaign.

The Australian was back to play a part in Saturday’s 2-1 friendly win for Avenue at Hinckley Leicester Road on Saturday.

It meant the rekindling of the strong defensive understanding he built up towards the end of last season with goalkeeper Craig Ellison.

The veteran stopper was another key factor in the side almost completing the great escape last season, and is one of the few players from that squad to have stayed put for the 2023/24 campaign.