CANVEY’S Billy Knott “can’t wait to get started” after signing for League One side Bradford City.

The 21-year-old former England Under-20 international opted to sign for the Bantams after being released by Premier League side Sunderland.

Knott spent last season on loan at first League Two side Wycombe Wanderers and then League One outfit Port Vale, making 41 appearances in total.

Vale were keen to get Knott – who won their goal of the season award for a spectacular long-range effort against Crawey - tied down on a permanent deal, but their League One rivals Bradford pipped them to his signature.

Midfielder Knott, who started his career at Chelsea, said: “I'm glad to have this move completed quite early in the summer and I can go away and prepare for pre-season properly now.

“I can't wait to get started and give it 100 per cent. That is the way I like to train and I like to play, and I'll try to be no different here. This is a big club and I am excited to get started.

“Bradford were obviously a massive club back in the day and still now, when you come here and you take it in, you look at the stadium, it’s fantastic.

“(Last season) I played there for Port Vale and was on the bench and you can take it in a bit more. The crowd that night was buzzing and I think they had gone 10 games without a win at that point. So you take in the surroundings and take in how the gaffer (Phil Parkinson) wants to take us forward and you can’t really turn it down.

“Hopefully we can take the club forward, get it back where it belongs and get back in the Championship.”

Bradford boss Phil Parkinson said he had been tracking Knott's progress for a long time.

"Billy is a young midfielder with good footballing ability and he's versatile too," said the former Colchester United boss.

"He can play central midfield and behind the striker - he's a player with real enthusiasm and I'm looking forward to working with him.

"He is a player who first came to our attention when he played against us on loan from Wimbledon.

"He played on the left-hand side of midfield that day and I have monitored him ever since.

"He went to Port Vale last season and did really well for them, so a few clubs wanted to sign him. I felt he was an important signing to get done."