Morecambe v Bradford City: Transfer bringing best out of Alex Pattison, says Mark Hughes

The midfielder will be looking for his fourth goal in as many games in Saturday's League Two match at Morecambe.

It has been an exceptional start to life at Valley Parade for the 25-year-old, who scored 19 goals in 83 appearances at Harrogate before his free transfer.

Swapping the team with League Two's smallest crowds to the one with comfortably is a step up, and Hughes feels it is bringing the best out of him.

“I think so," reflected the manager, who added Pattison’s former team-mate Lewis Richards to the squad on Friday. "I've said before people have to have big enough shoulders to carry the shirt and Patto looks made to measure for Bradford City and the stage he's got so he's got to enjoy himself this season.

"We knew we were getting a good player but I think until you actually work with these guys you're never really quite sure what you've got in the building.

"He's impressed everybody and he's already brought what we felt he had from his previous club.

"He's worked exceptionally hard in training and the transfer to matchday is seamless for Alex.

"He covers the grass very quickly to recognise good opportunities and gets on the end of things. There's more to come, I'm sure."

Alex Gillead (thigh) and Jamie Walker (ankle) will be missing with what Hughes hope are short-term injuries, and Ash Taylor is still out with an Achilles problem.

Left-sided defender Richards, who had two loans at Harrogate, joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee.