DEAN Windass got the move he craved yesterday when he signed a 3-year contract with promotion-chasing Bradford City.

The 18-goal striker's £1m move, predicted in Sportsmail earlier this week, enables United to pay off Aberdeen the £450,000 they owed following his club record move last summer.

United receive £950,000, plus a further £50,000 if Bradford gain promotion.

Windass, who stands to make more than £200,000 himself from the transfer straight away, said he felt sorry for United's fans who had been "brilliant" to him.

"They deserve a lot more," he said. "Malcolm Shotton deserves a lot more as well because he had been promised money and is not getting it. Mal is working on a shoestring.

"I was at Aberdeen and came back to England because I wanted to get into the Premier League. I was told that a new stadium was being built and that the manager had £2m to spend.

"I did well for Oxford and enjoyed my time, but my family were very unsettled down south. I am a Yorkshire lad and I am delighted to come home to a club like Bradford City." Bradford boss Paul Jewell insisted Windass was not just a front player and although he may play him up front alongside Lee Mills at Port Vale tomorrow, he saw him as midfield cover.

"When I played against him when he was with Hull, he was a very good midfield player."

"He's a great addition to our squad because I feel we have got two players for the price of one," said Jewell.

Story date: Saturday 06 March

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.