David Markham meets Bradford City's Captain Fantastic, the man whose on-field passion has driven the Bantams to promotion.

STUART McCALL has proved wrong in a spectacular way those who say never go back.

For, the 34-year-old flame-haired midfield player has realised his 'biggest football dream' - promotion to the Premiership with Bradford City - 11 months after returning to the club from Rangers.

When McCall left City following their failure to gain promotion in 1988, he said he would like to come back to Valley Parade one day.

By that time he had already become the most popular player in City's post-war history and many fans could not wait for the day when he would return.

It's one thing to say 'I'll be back' and another thing for it to happen, especially after a break of ten years as McCall has readily acknowledged.

However, when manager Paul Jewell learned that he might be available as the new Rangers manager Dick Advocaat signalled sweeping changes at Ibrox, events moved quickly.

Less than a month after he had played his last match of the season for Rangers in their Scottish FA Cup final defeat against Hearts, McCall was being welcomed back to Valley Parade as Jewell's first close season transfer.

McCall resumed the captaincy and his famous No 4 shirt and the rest, as they say, is history.

Supporters who wondered how he would play after ten years away were not to be disappointed.

McCall quickly showed he had lost none of his old energy, enthusiasm, fitness and his extraordinary capacity for hard work.

But, after ten years in the top flight, three with Everton and seven with Rangers, plus 40 Scottish caps, McCall was a classier, polished and more experienced player.

Add to all those qualities his passion for City, his determination to bring success to the club and his inspirational leadership, it is not surprising that he won the T&A-JCT 600 Player of the Year award.

Much more important, though, he has led City to the Premiership, a feat that eluded him in his first spell at Valley Parade when the club were beaten in the old Second Division play-offs by Middlesbrough.

Come August, he will fulfil another ambition, to lead City out in the Premiership.

As he savoured City's achievement, McCall said: "Helping the club into the Premiership is a dream I have had for a long time.

"Dreams don't always come true, but I have been fortunate that so many of mine in football have been fulfilled, but this is the biggest one of all.

"Some people said I wanted to ease down my career when I came back, but I still have a lot of desire left in me.

"I think we were 66-1 to win promotion at the start of the season and after seven games we were next to the bottom of the table with five points out of 21.

"Most people were looking at a fight to stay up maybe to gain a mid-table place at that stage. We said at the time there were still a lot of games to go, but we never expected to be anywhere near second place at the end of the season.

"It has been a magnificent effort by everyone connected with the club."

What a contrast City now present compared with the club McCall first joined as a 16-year-old apprentice, signed when George Mulhall was manager in the summer of 1980 after City's failed attempt to win promotion from the old Fourth Division the previous season.

I first met him when he travelled with the first team for a night match to Darlington as a reward from for some encouraging junior team performances.

He won the affection of fans because of his 100 per cent commitment and passion for City and his never-failing friendly personality off the field.

It's a tribute to him that he possesses exactly the same qualities now, almost 20 years on.

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