Guiseley have signed form-er Bradford City centre back Mark Bower.

The defender made over 200 appearances for the Bantams, and is a former captain.

Last season the 31-year-old was almost an ever-pres-ent in the line-up at FC Hali-fax Town, making 48 app-earances and scoring one goal.

Prior to joining the Shay-men, he had started his career with City, making 189 first-team appearances over the six seasons between 2003-04 and 2008-09.

Over the following two seasons he played for Luton Town and Darlington res-pectively, making 16 starts for the Hatters and playing 13 times for the Quakers’ first team.

Born in Bradford in Jan-uary 1980, Bower was edu-cated at St Bede’s School before signing as a trainee at Valley Parade and was an ever-present there during the 2004-05 and 2006-07 sea-sons.

Made captain by care-taker manager David Weth-erall, Bower was a regular first-teamer until he even-tually lost his place to Matt Clarke after sustaining an injury in a pre-match warm-up at Accrington Stanley on New Year’s Day 2008.

Guiseley manager Steve Kittrick said: “Mark was a bit disappointed about not being offered a new deal by Halifax Town and contacted me.

“Mark is a vastly ex-perienced player and cap-tained Halifax last season. He will be a massive asset to Guiseley.”

Moving in the opposite direction is midfielder Liam Needham.

Kittrick added: “Liam has decided that Halifax are a bigger club than us and offer him a better chance of getting into the Conference but that is a conversation that needs to be continued with him at the end of next season.”

Striker Joe O’Neill has re-signed for the Lions, and joining them is 18-year-old James Booker from Leeds United.

Kittrick said: “James ia a utility player and has a good physical presence. You don’t play at a full-time club like Leeds United for ten years without having that and he also has good technical ability.”