Bradford City manager Graham Alexander says that his stance on Jake Young hasn’t changed amid speculation linking him with a move away from the club.
The Bantams boss has been consistent in his view that the striker will be considered as a part of his matchday squad as soon as he is available for selection. The 22-year-old was recalled early from his season-long loan at League Two rivals Swindon Town earlier this month having hit 16 goals in 26 appearances for the Robins.
He returned to Yorkshire nursing an injury, which has meant speculation surrounding his immediate future has continued throughout the current transfer window. League One strugglers Carlisle United have publicly declared their interest, with manager Paul Simpson claiming that Bradford’s ‘ridiculous’ valuation had priced them out of the move.
The former Forest Green Rovers attacker returned to full training yesterday as he edges closer to a return. A single appearance for Alexander’s side would rule out a transfer this month, with no player allowed to represent more than two clubs in a season.
Via Bradford Telegraph & Argus, the 52-year-old addressed the situation, saying:
“I can’t make people believe what I’m saying. Hopefully over time, people will understand that what I’m saying is the truth.
“I don’t want to go back on my words that I said straight away but Jake came back with an injury.
“I think the Swindon manager at the time clarified that as well that he’d been playing for them with it.
“He’s been treated for it. He was back out on the training pitch doing laps and now he’s trained.
“He’s on a normal return-to-play schedule that Jamie Walker and Lewis Richards are on and he’s gone through exactly the same protocol as them.
“He looked good in training – as did Lewis Richards. Fingers crossed there’s no adverse effects.”
Young is unlikely to feature against former club Swindon tomorrow afternoon, meaning the rumours are likely to continue until the end of the transfer window next week. Alexander concedes that that is part and parcel of the game:
“I don’t want to hide anything from anybody and pull the wool over their eyes.
“I want to be honest and open but there are things that go on behind the scenes in football that even I don’t know about.
“A lot of it, I don’t need to know. Unless it’s factual and something I really have to deal with, I prefer to be left to manage the team.
“This is a side issue for me. It’s a potentially important player for us if he’s here when he’s fully fit.
“But I’m not going to ignore the guys that are out there running their whatsits off in a Bradford City shirt to focus on something I don’t need to.
“My focus is on the guys doing everything they can to win points for our club.”
Bradford will be hoping for three points at the County Ground tomorrow, which could see them move back into the top half of the table.
Writer’s View
There is always going to be scepticism surrounding the situation, especially when Young hadn’t missed a game for Swindon in the first half of the campaign. However, Bradford made the decision to bring him back to Valley Parade solely for his goals and not with the intention of generating a quick buck.
Of course, he could still exit before the window closes on Wednesday night. Every player has their price, and the Bantams clearly have a figure in mind…even if Paul Simpson does find it ridiculous.
Head of Writing
