“It’ s a different role than being the first team manager of Bury but having also been the youth team manager at Bury I understand the importance of developing youth team players and home grown talent. As we showed at Bury, it can be a massive benefit to the club because developing your own talent does have a major effect on the club. I am here to continue to learn and develop myself as a coach.”

As a player you graduated through one of the best football academy systems in the world at Manchester United; how much do you draw on that experience now as a youth team manager regarding the principles of how to do things properly?

“The set-ups between Bradford and Manchester United are obviously different but the principles are still the same. It’s about having good practice and good standards and I certainly know the basics that need to be in place to move the youth side forward. I think the big difference throughout the clubs from top to bottom is obviously finance, facilities, staff, and equipment which are obviously a major factor on your youth set-up and development. If you can get the main factors in place you can hopefully progress your youth team and develop your players like we did at Bury on a very limited budget.”

How good is the catchment area that you can recruit young players from?

“One of the good things about Bradford City is that is does have a big catchment area, it is a big football club and it’s only 8 years since the club were in the Premier League. A key thing in recruiting players is the attractiveness of the club and Bradford is attractive to young players around this area and also that bit further afield as well.”

How do you reflect on your time as manager of Bury?

“I did get thrown straight into the deep end as manager of Bury and it was a steep learning curve. With the size of the club, nothing was simply going to happen overnight but I think the club was certainly going in the right direction especially for the first two years. When I took over at Bury they were 4 points adrift in the table and in danger of relegation. I feel that I made progress with the club but I found the final 7 months really frustrating because of the situation I was put in where certain decisions were made out of my hands.”

It is as tough for managers in the lower leagues as it is in the Premier League because the finances are a lot more difficult. It was a real battle but for the first two years I really did enjoy it. It did help that I had managed Bury’s youth team first because when I became first team manager I knew potentially what the youth lads could do. “

When you left Bury and needed to sort out your settlement, how supportive was the League Managers Association towards you?

“My contract was there in black & white but certain issues needed to be sorted out and resolved and the LMA was strong in dealing with those issues. They helped me move on pretty quickly in what can be a pressurised period of your life. It’s not nice when you lose your job, as any manager who has been in the situation will know and when there are people there to look after you and guide you it is a big help.”