FORMER York City defender Mark Bower has backed goalkeeper George Sykes-Kenworthy to one day shine in the Football League.

Bower previously managed Sykes-Kenworthy at Bradford (Park Avenue), naming the shot-stopper as captain in the 2023/24 season before his switch to York in late October.

The former City defender has backed Sykes-Kenworthy to go on and enjoy a very successful career in the Football League, whether if that is with York or not, and believes that the goalkeeper has all of the attributes to become one of the Vanarama National League’s leading shot-stoppers.

“He’s the sort of goalkeeper that as a manager, you can really rely on, and playing at that high level York will have to keep progressing themselves to keep a hold of him, because I’ve got everything confidence that he will go on to play higher,” Bower told the Press.

“Before I left Bradford (Park Avenue) York had just taken our goalkeeper, George Sykes-Kenworthy, who I think will be a really, really good signing for them.

“He has got the potential to play at a really high level has George so I think that York have done a great bit of business there to get him in at this stage and to help them progress.

“He’s a very good goalkeeper is George. He’s not an eye-catching goalkeeper with the ball at his feet but he is very, very competent and is really good with crosses, which is something you get in non-league football with the long throws and the balls coming into your box.

“He dominates his box really well, he’s a good shot-stopper and is just an all-round really good package.

“He’s got that temperament as well, it’s very rare that he makes a mistake but he will just brush it aside and continue to perform at a really high level.

“I don’t think his mullet would suit me! It’s not my cup of tea, but I don’t care if you have long hair, blue hair, green hair, if the goalkeeper is keeping the ball out of the goal then that’s all I’m bothered about!”

Sykes-Kenworthy isn’t the first piece of transfer business between the two sides in recent years, with the likes of Harrison Hopper, Sam Fielding and Macauley Langstaff all switching between the two teams when Bower was in charge of Bradford (Park Avenue).

Bower also believes that York should be competing at Football League level considering their history, and admitted that City’s Vanarama National League North days were always an enjoyable experience for the part-time clubs of the division.

“When we were in the Conference North with York and played against York, we were a little bit more down and we didn’t have anywhere near the same resources, so we’ve dealt with them quite a lot.

“Even before with the likes of Macauley Langstaff who came from York.

“They changed their manager quite a few times and there were a lot of different relationships to build between us for transferring players between the two clubs.

"But having played at York, seeing them in the Conference North it was something to really look forward to, they should never have been at that level and really should be higher than the level that they are at now.

“Hopefully with their new manager in they can start going in the right direction of that division.”

Bower now finds himself out of football having left his role at Park Avenue last month, wrapping up a seven year spell in West Yorkshire which saw the club defy the odds to remain competitive in the National League North.

However Bower is now looking forward to his first Christmas out of football in 25 years, whilst also remaining open to taking a local job in the future.

“My first spells with Guiseley and my first spell with Park Avenue we were able to compete at the top end of the division and play some good football, we did really well in those spells over the last few years and it’s been really difficult to work with very little money.

“We kind of punched above our weight to stay in the Conference North until last season, so it’s been difficult.

“There’s not many football jobs around and I’ve got my own business in the Halifax and Bradford area that takes up a lot of my time so it’s got to be something geographically that works for me.

“I want it to be something that I can take forward rather than do the fire fight which is what it has been for the last three years at Avenue.

“I’ll wait and see, I’m enjoying my time off and have been able to watch a bit of Bradford City and a few other games, so I’ve enjoyed that sort of time and being with family around Christmas.

“I’ve always been in football for Christmas for 25 years, so it’s nice to have a bit of family time and time off.

“I’m enjoying that, but if something comes up that attracts me then I’m sure that is something that I’ll be interested in.”