Bradford City’s former loanee Tom McIntyre has been released by Blackpool after a short trial period with the Seasiders.

What happened to Tom McIntyre at Blackpool?

McIntyre, who left Valley Parade in January, joined Blackpool on trial hoping to revive his career in League One. The defender played 45 minutes in a pre-season friendly against Mill Farm - his first action since picking up a hamstring injury at Aberdeen in March. But boss Ian Evatt confirmed the 27-year-old and trialist Emmanuel Okunowo have been released.

Evatt told the Blackpool Gazette: “The issue we’ve got with these trialists is, they’re coming into a really intense environment and a lot of them haven’t been training with teams prior to coming in. They’re coming into a really intense environment and picking things up because they’re not physically ready to go. It’s not our responsibility to make sure they’re fit; it’s their responsibility.”

How did McIntyre end up at Bradford City?

McIntyre joined Bradford City on a season-long loan from Portsmouth last year. But Graham Alexander cut the spell short after just 11 appearances. After cancelling his contract at Portsmouth, he moved to Aberdeen - only to make five first-team appearances before an injury against Dunfermline ended his spell.

He told Sky Sports: “I just haven’t really settled anywhere, which I’ve found difficult. I’d been at Reading for a long time, then went to Portsmouth and, in my first game, I broke my ankle.”

Where does McIntyre go from here?

McIntyre remains a free agent and has been training with the PFA camp alongside other unattached players, including former Bradford City goalkeeper Joe Hilton. There were reports of a potential return to his hometown club Reading, but no move has materialised so far.

The defender admitted: “From there, various things happened and I came back the next season, picked up another little injury, then didn’t start the season, so I was playing catch-up.”

Bradford City’s League One outlook

With the new season approaching, Bradford City sit 14th in League One with zero points and zero goals scored or conceded so far.