ASHLEY Ward looks set to head back to Yorkshire and join Bradford City in a £1.5 million deal.

City revealed today that they have agreed a fee with Rovers for the former Barnsley striker who is set to hold talks with the Premiership club over the next couple of days.

They seem certain to end in Ward's departure from Ewood Park, where he arrived for £4.25 million on December 31, 1998, as manager Graeme Souness continues to re-shape his squad.

And with Egil Ostenstad having been told he can leave for the right price, it would be no surprise to see Souness move into the transfer market for a new striker to compete with Matt Jansen and the back-in-favour Nathan Blake.

Blake has fought his way back into the good books with Souness today revealing that he WILL start against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Welsh international striker was one of six players who were told by Souness that they were free to leave Ewood at the start of the summer.

But the former Bolton front man has now won a reprieve after a string of impressive performances during Rovers' pre-season build-up.

And together with Jansen he has been charged with the responsibility of delivering the goals to shoot down Palace.

"Nathan has come back and shown an exemplary attitude since we started training again," said Souness.

"I told him at the end of last season that he could find himself a new club but I would only let him go if the price was right, and that didn't happen.

"But the attitude he has shown and his form in pre-season means he is one we are looking at again.

"And he'll start against Palace on Saturday."