Meredith is planning to clean up and justify his switch

The New South Wales-born defender went on to spend a couple of years living with five of his team-mates from Bootham Crescent and admits to thoroughly enjoying himself.

Meredith is likely to face one of those former house mates in League Two combat at Valley Parade and while he admits Daniel Parslow was the tidy one of the two when they shared digs together in York, the Bradford full-back is determined to clean up today.

“There were five of us in the house and I lived there for two years,” explains the 24-year-old to the Yorkshire Post. “We had different lads in both years but, without doubt, Daniel Parslow was the sensible one around the place.

“He did the washing up and most of the cooking. He was great around the place and a top man. I enjoyed my time in that house with him and it will be nice to see all my old team-mates. My priority, though, is to play well and help Bradford win.”

Meredith’s decision to leave York in the wake of Gary Mills’s side clinching promotion via the Conference play-offs was not a surprise. He was out of contract and attracting interest from at least a couple of Championship sides.

What did, however, shock many at Bootham Crescent was his choice of new club with Bradford being in the same division as the Minstermen.

Speaking to this newspaper in August, York manager Mills said: “I lost one of my players to Bradford so that adds a bit of spice. What I will say to my players is, ‘Why can’t we beat Bradford?’ We have to aim for that.”

Explaining his preference for Valley Parade amid that interest from Burnley and Watford, Meredith said: “I came here because the gaffer really sold Bradford to me.

“He showed how interested he was in signing me. Plus, he came across really well. It made me believe in him and this club. We can do really well and be a successful team.

“Bradford are a club on the up. It is like a sleeping dragon so it is now our jobs to do the work on the pitch and make the effort to win promotion.”

Meredith, who came to England as a teenager after being spotted by a scout working for Derby County, spent three seasons at York.

Signed by Martin Foyle, the right-back was in the side beaten by Oxford United at Wembley in the 2010 play-off final.

Missing out on a return to the Football League was a crushing blow but one that was more than compensated for last May when Meredith played in both the promotion-clinching win over Luton at Wembley and the FA Trophy success over Newport County.

He said: “I had a brilliant three years at York. I was under Martin Foyle at first and then Gary Mills. We had two really good seasons – one where we just missed out on promotion via the play-offs and then last season when we beat Luton at Wembley. The play-off final was the sort of game that summed up our efforts last season. We never gave in.

“It was a difficult decision to leave. York is a real family club and everyone looks after each other. The team spirit was really tight-knit and if you look at the squad who we will face this weekend, there is probably only me from last season who has moved on.

“Having said that it was a difficult decision, I do also believe the time had come for me to leave. The right time in my career and the right thing to do.”

Since joining Bradford, Meredith has started all but the midweek Johnstone’s Paint Trophy penalty shoot-out win over Hartlepool United and he is relishing today’s derby.

“It will be good to take York on at our fortress,” he said. “York suit good surfaces and I think they will enjoy coming to Valley Parade.

“They like to pass the ball and have a good manager. But, then again, so do we. I feel we have better players and an as good, if not better, manager.

“We are going to go out and really show them what we have got.”