Richie Smallwood aiming to take Bradford City 'back where they belong'

Former Hull City skipper Richie Smallwood has pledged to help new club Bradford City get back to where they belong. The Bantams, who plied their trade in the Premier League as recently as 2000/01, are currently preparing for a fourth consecutive campaign in League Two.

But hopes are high that Mark Hughes - a surprise appointment for the Valley Parade club's manager role in late February - can steer the 2013 League Cup finalists back into the third tier during his first full season at the helm. Smallwood's signing has been regarded as a signal of that intent, with the 31-year-old midfielder having played 42 times for the Tigers in the Championship last term before being released by the club last month.

A number of clubs from different levels of the EFL were understood to be interested in the Redcar-born midfielder, who has signed a two-year contract at Bradford with his new employers also having an option to extend that deal by a further year. Smallwood will get an early opportunity to renew acquaintances with his former club as Hull have been drawn away to Bradford in the first round of the Carabao Cup on the week commencing August 8.

In an interview on the official Bradford City club website, meanwhile, Smallwood also spoke of his desire to bring leadership to the Bantams' ranks and how he was attracted by the move, despite a drop in two divisions, because of Hughes' preferred brand of football and the opportunity to play in front of a vociferous Valley Parade crowd. He said: "I am absolutely buzzing to finally have it signed and am looking forward to getting down to business.

"I have friends who have played here over the past few years who cannot speak highly enough of the club. Our job is to get it back to where it