HEAD coach James Ford has handed trialist Jack Anderson a permanent deal at York City Knights - after realising behind the wheel of his car that he'd been won over.

Former York Acorn ARLC junior Anderson, previously on the books at Hull and Wakefield, has been on trial with the Knights since returning to Yorkshire in the off-season following a year in Australia.

A contract offer, however, had not seemed likely as Ford queried the 22-year-old's ability to adapt to the team's new hard-hitting way of playing and training, but a deal has now been signed, with the head coach admitting he had been forced into a change of heart.

Anderson is immediately included in the 19-man squad for tomorrow's trip to Doncaster, with fellow back-rower Josh Tonks out injured after a head injury in the Challenge Cup win over Keighley.

"Jack is up to playing at this level, but my question was whether he was physical enough to play for my team," said Ford.

"For the last six to eight weeks, though, he has ripped into it in the gym and in contact in training.

"Driving home from training I was thinking more often than not that I've been really impressed with him, and that takes some doing."

A youth international, back-rower Anderson had a spell in Hull's academy before signing for Wakefield, turning out against Leeds in a first-team friendly in 2014 but unable to break onto the Super League scene.

The strapping six-footer, a former Millthorpe School and York College student, arrived at his home-town club at the start of pre-season training in November.

Said Ford: "Jack has really impressed me of late.

"He changed his mentality towards training and the physical side of things. He's embraced the culture of the club now and not only that, he's adding to it. I'm very big on that, on what people do in training and off the field.

"He's young for a back-rower or middle man but he's big enough and he's got good skills.

"He's got a chance now that he's starting to show us the physical attributes he need to play for this club."

Ben Dent is also added to the squad to meet Donny after finally receiving the official all-clear from medics, and fellow winger Brett Turner is also included again.

Centre Connor Bower is omitted but fellow loanee Jordan Crowther is back after being made unavailable for the cup last week.

Knights: from Wilkinson, Turner, Morland, Hey, Buchanan, Presley, Nicklas, Waller, Carter, Aldous, Mallinder, E Smith,

Emmett, Brining, Spiers, Applegarth, Crowther, Anderson, B Dent.