Bradford City midfielder Gareth Whalley has had quite an eventful start to his Valley Parade career.

During the summer, the 25-year-old midfielder was still with his first club Crewe Alexandra, and admits he was starting to go stale with the club he joined as a schoolboy.

Whalley's contract was due to run out in 12 months time, and he was wondering whether he would have to stay at Gresty Road for another 12 months.

So when Paul Jewell offered him a £600,000 move to Valley Parade, Whalley jumped at the chance, and says it was the best thing he could have done.

In a short space of time, Whalley has established himself as one of the First Division's classier players, helping City into the promotion race, and was in the Republic of Ireland squad which travelled to Yugoslavia for a Euro 2000 qualifier.

He said: "I needed a change and a fresh challenge. I only had a year left on my contract and wondered if I should sit it out and wait for a Premier League club.

"I looked at the players Bradford were trying to sign, and thought this was the club. And thankfully it is working out.

"I came here after missing a lot of last season with niggling injuries. The difference is I worked harder in pre-season. I started my training on my own at home. I needed it because I was picking up little injuries.

"I was called into three international squads, and each time I picked up an injury on the Saturday before I was supposed to go, so I thought I was jinxed.

"But fortunately I went with the full squad this time. It was a great experience to mix with all the big names like Steve Staunton and Roy Keane, and I got on well with them.

"The club doing well has helped me a lot. In the first few games it wasn't looking too good because, without us really playing badly, we weren't picking up any points.

"We were bottom of the league, but I said all along it would take time to gel, and we have shown that that is the case."

Whalley faced his former club Crewe Alexandra today hoping to cement City's promotion bid, which has seen them win six out of their last seven league and cup matches.

Along with Stuart McCall, Whalley has been in superb form in the Bantams midfield to help turn the season around for Jewell's men, and he believes the side can look forward to the next few months with confidence.

Asked if City's successful run had surprised him, Whalley said: "The door is still open for automatic promotion.

"When I first came I said we must look at the play-offs, but look at the quality we have, and you start thinking 'This could be our season', so no, it hasn't surprised me.

"It is good playing alongside Stuart. He has bags of experience and he is talking all the time during a game. It's the same with Peter Beagrie just outside me.

"People were happy to see us start badly because we had spent money. Now everyone appears to be saying 'You might go up, but you'll come straight back down.'

"That is a sort of back-handed compliment. We can still improve, though, and when we do, it is a case of watch us go.

"The pleasing thing is we are working harder than everyone else, and yet we also have a lot of ability in the team.

"It starts with the forwards, and the coaching staff always say if they are not playing well, they must still work.

"That makes such a difference to me and Stuart. If the forwards are tackling back it makes it easier for us.

"The same applies to the people outside us in midfield which makes us solid as a unit. This, in turn, often sees sides resorting to the long-ball tactic.

"The most pleasing aspect for us is that when we have to mix it, we can do it with the best of them, and yet when we can play football, we do. That can only help us for the rest of the season."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.