Rotherham United: Tumultuous journey from Millers to Bradford for David Ball

The Rotherham striker's season-long loan to the Bantams went through on Monday after an anxious weekend of waiting.

The West Yorkshire club had pushed Friday's deadline extremely close in their attempts to sign Ball and the relevant authorities did not rubber-stamp the move until Monday afternoon.

That was dramatic enough for Ball, who has struggled to feature in Paul Warne's early-season reckoning at the Millers.

So imagine how he felt when, just hours after his first training session with his new team-mates, the manager who signed him was fired.

Rookie boss Michael Collins bit the bullet after just six games late on Monday night and Ball now faces the task of impressing swiftly appointed replacement David Hopkin.

Before the 32-year-old Collins, who was the Football League's youngest manager, was sacked Ball had said he had chosen to go to Valley Parade ahead of several other clubs.

If he knew what drama was awaiting him, he might have picked differently.

Ball said: 'There were a number of clubs interested in me and as soon as I heard Bradford had made an approach, I wanted to make it happen.

'I have played here on numerous occasions and am looking forward to doing so as a Bradford player.

'I will bring goals, I will bring assists and I will do all I can to help the club challenge.

'I have done it over the past few seasons in League One and I have been a part of teams who have played play-off football.

'I know the division very well and I hope to add to the great deal of quality we already have here.'

His switch to Bradford effectively ends his Rotherham career as he is out of contract next summer and it is a disappointing finish to his time in South Yorkshire.

Ball had played an important role in the Millers' League One promotion last season, scoring nine goals in 38 games, but did not fit Warne's style of play in a higher division.