John McGinlay is bitterly disappointed that injury has scuppered his hopes of facing former club Bolton Wanderers tomorrow.

The 34-year-old joined Bradford City in a then club record £625,000 deal last November with manager Chris Kamara hoping he would score the goals to power a bid for promotion.

However the Scot's season was blighted by injury and in the four months of the season he started just two games.

McGinlay underwent an operation on his Achilles tendon and reported back for pre-season training raring to go only for injury to again plague the Scottish international.

And despite making his return for the reserves on Wednesday he will miss tomorrow's clash in front of the Sky Television cameras.

He said: "When I went to the army camp as part of pre-season training one of my main aims was to be available for the game with Bolton. Unfortunately I received another setback.

"It was a slight tear in the Achilles but further up from the original injury. At first I thought it might need surgery but thankfully that did not turn out to be the case. Instead I just rested it for ten days and it appears to be all right.

"I had initially pencilled in the reserve game against Newcastle next Tuesday as my return. But I felt good in training so asked the gaffer if I could play at Lincoln. It was very hot and very tiring but it was a good feeling to be playing again.

"It will be strange being at the game tomorrow and not playing against so many of my former team-mates."

McGinlay is quite rightly regarded as something of a legend in Bolton after five success-laden years at Burnden Park.

He was a crucial member of three promotion-winning sides at Bolton and was part of the side which made it to Wembley for the 1995 Coca-Cola Cup final. And if that wasn't enough then he also scored the final goal ever at Burnden Park before Wanderers' move to the Reebok Stadium.

McGinlay, who finished the 1996-97 season as top scorer in the First Division, understandably has only happy memories of his time in Lancashire and still lives in Bolton.

Asked if he had one particular highlight from his time at Wanderers, he replied: "The day I signed was probably that because it meant I went on to enjoy so many good times.

"We enjoyed a lot of success. They were a good set of lads and I keep in touch with them regularly. The club certainly doesn't appear to have changed.

"Bolton have a good settled side. In the summer the only first choice players they lost were Alan Thompson and Gerry Taggart while both John Sheridan and Chris Fairclough were released.

"I think the game will be a very good yardstick for us, particularly with the game being at home. It will give us an idea as to how far we have to go. Anyone who finishes above Bolton will be promoted."

On a personal level, McGinlay is just looking to force his way back into contention at Valley Parade.

"It is a matter of getting fit and seeing how it goes. There are so many strikers here that the competition will be very fierce.

"A lot of money has been spent and that means the quality of the squad has been improved dramatically. It will then be up to the manager to decide who should play."

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