Bradford City keeper Harry Lewis opens up on interest from League One side Barnsley FC and an unsettling time

The Reds were keen on bringing in Lewis following the departure of Brad Collins to Coventry City, but their interest was rebuffed by the Bantams, with the League One club quickly looking at alternative options and bringing in Middlesbrough custodian Liam Roberts on a season-long loan.

The interest came towards the end of City's warm-weather training camp in Spain and Lewis admits it was an unsettling time.

Lewis, who enjoyed an outstanding 2022-23 League Two campaign at Valley Parade, said: “It was tough because I’ve never been in that situation before and I made that clear to the gaffer.

“It was the Spain week that I found really difficult.

“Nobody had really told me exactly what was happening and I was just grateful for it to be done.

“As a guy who sees himself as quite black or white, I’m either all in or all out, and I found it really tough to be in a bit of limbo.

“When it all came out the morning of the Getafe game, I found it emotionally difficult to deal with.

“I’m just a guy who wants to give his all for this football club and I felt that I was being pulled from pillar to post.

“I felt a lot of exposure and pressure and a lot of conversation around me during that game.

“I just want to kick a bag of wind around with my mates and there were these external factors that I couldn’t control.”

Despite a potential move up to League One should the move have transpired, Lewis insists he holds no issue with City rejecting interest from the division above from Barnsley.

“At the end of the day, the offer put on the table wasn’t right for Bradford City," he continued. “I made my feelings very clear that unless it was right for everybody, I’m not going.

“I’m not going to throw my toys out the pram and sulk or hand in a transfer request. That’s not me at all."

Bradford travel to Crawley for their opening match on August 5.