Former Town striker Caolan Lavery has agreed to join League Two Bradford City. TWTD was first to reveal that the Canadian-born Northern Ireland U21 international was in talks with the Bantams a month ago.

The former academy striker recently turned down a six-month professional deal with the Blues and, in addition to his talks with Bradford, spent time on trial with Leicester City and more recently Sunderland.

Lavery, whose two-year academy scholarship was extended until his 19th birthday in October after he suffered a serious knee injury last season, was understood to have been unhappy with the wages on offer at Portman Road, which were believed to be below those of a number of his contemporaries.

As well as Sunderland, Leicester and Bradford, Aston Villa monitored his progress in the early part of the season, while Town were looking to send him out on loan to Rochdale prior to his decision to move on. Links with Tottenham were dismissed last season.

Lavery netted five goals in seven FA Premier Academy League games for Town’s U18s during the early stages of this campaign, plus a further four for the reserves.

Having offered the contract, Town are entitled to compensation from Bradford.

Photo: Action Images

dazz added 20:54 - Dec 1 so one of our better prospects having been talked about for a while now, gets no chance in the first team whatsoever and then we let him go to a league 2 side... for probably paying 200 quid extra a week. Suppose he'll end up playing against us in a couple of years at this rate anyway..JEWELL OUT
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DaneITFC added 20:58 - Dec 1 thats one more decent young-un gone, should have atleast taken a chance on him, cant be much worse than what weve already got!
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AlanMahon2011 added 20:58 - Dec 1 Bradford City Sheffield Wednesday Wigan Athletic Derby County
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alfromcol added 21:08 - Dec 1 move on folks, we didn't let him go, he went! he has joined a League 2 despite all the talk of trials with more illustrious clubs.
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TractorMan added 21:09 - Dec 1 Another one whose agent has clearly turned his head, but then ends up at a poor L2 club. Hope he does do well, but not Tottenham, Sunderland or Leicester snapping him up is it? He'd have been better off signing a deal here and going on loan!
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xrayspecs added 21:18 - Dec 1 Sorry, this is a hard nosed commercial deal. We did not rate him enough to offer him a contract (see Wickham x 3 deals, Whight and Lawrence, we rate them and will tie them to as long a deal as we can). We did though believe he was good enough to get a deal elsewhere so made him a lowball offer knowing we would turn it down and get some compensation for him if he signed elsewhere.

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Martus added 22:07 - Dec 1 He turned us down remember that. Jewell and Ipswich are right not too give in to his wage demands, i know it may be tuppence compared too our "seniors" wages, but at that young age it should be an honor to be given a contract at Ipswich. Instead he turned it down for money and that saddens me because that is the first thing on his mind, not looking at how he better himself as a footballer but how much he'll get paid. He got a little too big for his boots, thought he was better than us, looks like no one else would take him . . . . . . Oh well . . . . . He could of progressed well here, but look where greed got him . . . . . . . . ITFC sound Championship club or Bradford struggling league 2 side . . . . . . . i know which one id have chosen.

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Mark added 22:13 - Dec 1 He is 19 and didn't even make a substitute appearance for Ipswich, plus no loan successes, so hardly a Bent, Rhodes or Wickham is he?! Let's bring in some new young players and spend the money on them instead.
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Pettitt10 added 22:30 - Dec 1 how on earth is this PJ's fault??!! PJ doesnt give the contracts! its lavery's choice, let him go.
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itfc1981 added 22:52 - Dec 1 Martus wake up why do you think so many young players have turned us down over the last couple of years? Trotter, Brown, Grandad, Lavery. Stupid offers get the V sign back, you cant blame them.
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h32 added 23:21 - Dec 1 itfc - exactly right - just ignore the idiotic comments. 'Losers again' - another VERY promising youngster leaves the Club - and more of the Clubs reputation, built up over the years, goes with them. Sad, very sad.
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radiogaga added 23:28 - Dec 1 Very sad to lose young players usually, but not this one. Good riddance to him, been looking for better offers for a long time. Don't need spoilt little brats like this on the training ground...
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PimsNumber1 added 23:28 - Dec 1 trotter has done well but arnt the rest in league 2 or not getting a game at L1
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bobble added 03:45 - Dec 2 no good thats why we didn't put him in the team
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bedsitfc added 06:58 - Dec 2 why should he be offered more money he has not given paul jewell a reason to put him in the first team. paul see's these players every day and knows more than all of us on here.
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tractorboybig added 07:40 - Dec 2 So most comments suggest that he and others are not that good? Suggests perhaps that the acadamy is failing, so lets get rid of it.
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bigolconnor added 07:45 - Dec 2 I agree. Our academy is rubbish. It has only made the club upwards of £30 million in the last ten years.
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bluelady added 07:45 - Dec 2 Come on let's be real guys....he had several trials but was bradford in league TWO that offered him the deal, surely that tells you he isn't good enough!!!! Plenty coming through the youth set up who have been offered better deals whight for one!
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EdJK added 08:04 - Dec 2 A lot of people are harping on about how great this guy is and how much potential he has but how many of you have actually seen him play? I know that Sunderland and Leicester have seen him play.. but neither thought he was worthy of a professional contract with them, so now he has signed for Bradford in league 2! The club has handled this one perfectly in my opinion.
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Karlosfandangal added 08:47 - Dec 2 Was he going to get in our 1st team? cant see it Players need to play game to improve so this could be a good move for the lad, he could have sat in the Ipswich reserves or Tottenham or Sunderlnd reserve or he could play week in week out with Bradford. Would Rhodes have played for Scotland if he had stayed at Ipswich and would Rhodes be good enough for the Championship if he had not had a couple of seasons in League one learning the trade. he has still to prove himself at championship level. Same could be said about Wickham he would have played week in week out with Ipswich, will his game progress by sitting on Sunderland's bench

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newboy added 08:48 - Dec 2 Comes to something when a league 2 club can offer better prospects and top the 200 p.w offered here good luck to you caolan you will be the first of many to walk now. And as for those of you sighting whight as a prospect have you seen him play just goes to show why we are in the sh*te jewell could not pick a player if his life depended on it
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Surco72 added 11:03 - Dec 2 Newboy .. Lavery has signed for Bradford after trials at other clubs because that is his standard at the moment, if he did not want to stay and learn and thought he was better than he is, let him go . Whight is a very good prospect but certainly not better than Cresswell at this stage in his career . How many of the released youngsters are being raved about in the lower leagues Brown,Eastman, No unfortunately young players and youngsters in general are now like fans and all want instant first team glory and success with no reality of their ability

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Martus added 11:06 - Dec 2 H32 - How is my comment idiotic? Dont you think its ridiculous that these young players are more interested in money than playing football? These players have a great opportunity at ITFC instead they got greedy, i wouldnt want ITFC too give in too them, as i said it should of been a honor for them.
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algarvefan added 11:07 - Dec 2 Whether you guys on here like it or not ITFC is a business and as such can't let players who have yet to make their mark hold the club to ransom. He was offered a pro contract and turned it down to go and play and Bradford, that say's it all to me and tells me what he's like as a person. He may well regret passing up the opportunity Ipswich offered him to go and sign for a league 2 outfit, none of the other championship/league 1 teams offered him anything after a number of trials. Accept it and move on and stop having a pop at Jewell and the club over this one!!

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AlanMahon2011 added 13:08 - Dec 2 We should of gave Bradford Grant Leadboots instead
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