Newly promoted EFL League One side Bradford City confirmed the signing of attacker Stephen Humphrys on Friday night. This comes following an exclusive report by the Lower Tiers that Humphrys was set to sign for Bradford. This signing also follows the 27 year old turning down a new contract from his previous club Barnsley.
Now, it is considered that the signing of the former Wigan man will most likely see him play in a starting role. Therefore, here are a couple of things that both Bradford fans and EFL fans in general should expect from Humphrys.
A Clear Attacking Threat
In signing the 27 year old, the University of Bradford stadium outfit are gaining a player who possesses a clear attacking threat.
This judgement comes because he scored 9 goals in EFL League One last season. His statistics also show he made 78 shots with 34 of these on target.
Furthermore, Humphrys had 117 touches in opposition boxes during the 2024-25 campaign. These attacking statistics show the threat that the 27 year old holds and the constant presence that he shows when facing oppositions.
This could be especially useful during crossing situations and situations where the ball is played to him which are common features of the Bradford gameplay. This can be seen through the fact that City successfully put 204 crosses in during the 2024-25 season. Alongside this, the Bantams were able to create 89 big chances last season.
More Attacking, Less Defending
Through the Englishman’s statistics, we can see that the attacker leans more towards attack than defence in his gameplay.
During his EFL League One 2024-25 season, Humphrys was only able to make 10 tackles with a success rate of 62.5%. These two statistics show that he is able to make a tackle but not in the constant fashion of a central midfielder or defender.
Furthermore, we can see that the 27 year old is less suited to defending. This is because of the fact that he made 34 fouls last season. This comes alongside being dribbled past on 4 occasions.
These fouls also saw the attacker pick up 3 yellow cards. This arguably shows us the less effective version of defending that is present when compared to his attacking side.
Can Stephen Humphrys Be Successful At Bradford?
This signing can be seen to be many positives and negatives. However, this can also lead to a number of judgements being expressed.
Therefore, the signing probes the question – can he be successful? Well, yes, if the Bantams use him properly. Throughout the 2024-25 season, we saw the attacker both in a winger and striker position.
But, with some Barnsley fans expressing how good Humphrys is when on the wing compared to up front, we can see that the Englishman is a good, even excellent signing if used in the correct position.
However, if he is not used effectively, the impact of the 27 year old will be limited. This will therefore limiting the success he can bring to the team.
Only time will tell in how Alexander will use the attacker but it is pivotal that he makes the right choice if he is to get the best out of Stephen Humphrys next season.
