FLYING winger Matty Blair reckons he has hit the “big time” with his move to York City.

The 21-year-old, who has signed a two-year deal from Kidderminster Harriers, says he was inspired to play for the Minstermen when he was part of the Bedworth team which lost 2-0 at Bootham Crescent in the FA Cup fourth preliminary round two years ago.

“When I came here I thought ‘Wow, this is it. This is the big time. I want to be doing this’ and this is what I aspired to play for,” he explained. “York gave me that taste of the pitch, ground, everything else. Now I’m signing for them and it’s fantastic to be in the situation I am in.”

Blair, who can play on either wing, scored 11 goals last season after signing at Aggborough following a career which had also taken in spells at Stratford, Redditch and AFC Telford.

Although offered a contract by Harriers, he opted instead to come to York insisting the move was a “step up”.

City will have to pay Kidderminster compensation as Blair is under 24, but the player said he couldn’t wait to get cracking with his new team-mates.

“It is the history of the club, the fans and the noise they can generate – the city itself,” he added of his decision to sign for York.

“It’s the first time I have been and had a walk round and it’s a fantastic city.

“It’s a hard place to turn down, to be honest.

“I was at Kidderminster which was a fantastic club for me because it was my first season in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

“They gave me my chance and were brilliant.

“It was a hard decision (to leave). I felt I owed them a lot but, on the other hand, I spoke to my dad and he advised me very well. It was a really difficult decision. The fans at Kidderminster made me feel brilliant.”

Blair said his dad, Andy, who won the European Cup with Aston Villa in 1982 and also played for top-flight clubs like Coventry, had a huge bearing on his decision.

“We had a great chat and we feel this club is the place where I can go further,” he added.

“I am quite lucky to have somebody who has played for Aston Villa, for Sheffield Wednesday, who has won the European Cup and has been there.

“He’s always let me get on with it and do my own thing.

“A lot of players step down from leagues to play in the Conference. I’ve done it the other way.

“I started at Racing Club Warwick and worked my way up over the course of three seasons.

“I’d like to think I was that little bit more hungry to get that League success. That’s probably what’s driving me on and it’s what I am hoping to achieve with York.

“I bring pace, I’d like to say goals, workrate, fitness and, hopefully, I will be starting and will be able to have a big influence.

“York will be up there, or thereabouts, next season and I want to be a part of that and, hopefully, will.”

City assistant manager Darron Gee said he, and boss Gary Mills, first tracked Blair when he was playing for Stratford.

“We’re delighted to get someone of his quality and we are looking forward to working with him,” he said. “We first came across Matty when he played against us when we were at Tamworth.

“We saw his potential. He ripped us apart. We invited him up to Tamworth for a couple of weeks and we trained with him and we just thought he needed to stay where he was and develop a bit more.

“Fair play to him, he’s developed, gone on from there to Kidderminster and he’s proved he’s going to be one hell of a player. He’s got in the England ‘C’ team.

“He knows the way me and Gary work. He knows the way we like to train and I think he will be a fantastic acquisition.”