Switching sides: James Hanson on why he made move to Sheffield United from Bradford City

The 29-year-old striker joined Sheffield United on Tuesday for an initial fee that is understood to be in the region of £150,000.

He has signed a two-and-a-half year deal.

Hanson netted 89 times in 335 appearances for his hometown club and left with a host of happy memories, including two Wembley trips, a string of famous Cup wins and promotion from League Two.

However, the 6ft 4in forward believes the opportunity to join the table-topping Blades was a “no-brainer” after City allowed his contract to run down to the last few months despite opening talks over a possible new deal last summer.

“It wasn’t a massive decision, if I am honest,” said Hanson to The Yorkshire Post about his switch to Bramall Lane.

“I felt it was right for me to make a change. I need to get my football going again and with the fact I only had three or four months left on my deal, I wasn’t sure what was really happening at Bradford.

“They spoke to me at the start of the season (about a possible contract extension) but then I got injured, which I can understand is why they probably wanted to stop things until I got back fit.

“But then I was playing and scoring a few, and it was all quiet. I didn’t know what was happening, to be honest.

“For a big club like Sheffield United to come in for me, it was a no-brainer. This is a new chapter for me. It is a chance to get going again.”

Hanson was in the crowd at the Lane on Tuesday night as United slipped to a 2-0 defeat against Fleetwood Town.

His debut is likely to come against AFC Wimbledon a week on Saturday due to Chris Wilder’s men having no fixture this weekend.

For Hanson, the move represents a fresh start and an opportunity to recapture the form that helped the former Co-op shelf-stacker to national prominence during Bradford’s Cup heroics against the likes of Chelsea, Sunderland, Arsenal and Aston Villa.

“I needed a fresh start,” added Hanson. “I probably had it in my head that I was ready to move on in the summer and focus on something else.

“When you have been at a club as long as I had at Bradford, you can become a little bit stale and you fail to motivate yourself a little bit.

“I feel coming here will give me a real lift and get me back to the performances I was producing 18 months ago in the Cup run.”

Hanson had been the subject of interest from other clubs in the past with Millwall having had a couple of six-figure bids rejected in 2015.

“There was talk in the past (about a possible move),” he added. “But never the right club, for me at least. Millwall was a little bit too far for me geographically.

“But when Sheffield United came in, it was pretty much a no-brainer for me. Especially with it being only 45 minutes away and Sheffield United being a side who score a lot of goals and create a lot of chances.

“As a striker, you want chances and when I saw those crosses come in (against Fleetwood) it was a nice feeling. I was gutted not to be registered in time to play but there were some great balls coming in and I would have loved to be out there.

“The gaffer likes to flood the wide areas and get crosses in. That will be great and it is my job to get on the end of them.”

Tuesday night’s defeat to Uwe Rosler’s men means United have taken just one point from their last three outings.

Wilder’s side, however, still lead the way at the top of the third tier and boast a seven points advantage over third-placed Bolton Wanderers, albeit with Phil Parkinson’s men having three games in hand.

Bolton, Scunthorpe and Hanson’s former club Bradford are all yet to visit the Lane for what are likely to be hugely important clashes.

With that in mind, signing a striker with a track record of delivering in the big matches could prove a masterstroke by Wilder.

“There will be some great games here and I want to chip in with the goals,” said Hanson, who during his time at Valley Parade scored the goal that earned City a place in the League Cup final, bagged the opener in a play-off final triumph and was man of the match in 2015’s stunning Cup win at Chelsea.

“This is the business end of the season and we need results.

“If you look at the dressing room, the manager has brought in a lot of players who are proven in this division and have played a lot of games in it.

“That experience will be vital, especially in those massive games coming up.

“It will need all our experience to get the results and it helps that many in this team have played a lot in League One as well as higher up.”