Garry Thompson reckons City’s insider knowledge of League One has paid dividends so far.

Phil Parkinson’s side might be newcomers to the third tier but the vast majority of the squad possess plenty of higher-division experience.

Thompson, who has featured in every league game this season, played at this level and above for Scunthorpe – and it’s the same with most of his team-mates.

He said: “Teams might think ‘we’ve got Bradford today and they don’t really know this league’ because we’ve just been promoted.

“But we’ve got lads who have played in this division for a number of years. They’ve got that ability and experience as well as the will to win.

“That’s been proved already this year and other teams will know that we will be a threat.

“We’ve had some tough games, home and away, and have withstood most of them really well. There’s no reason why we can’t keep going from strength to strength.”

Parkinson has retained a fairly settled side for the opening third of the campaign, sticking with the bulk of the line-up that clinched play-off glory last season.

But Thompson, who was dropped to the bench for the first time in the league this season against Crewe but came on for Raffaele De Vita, insists that none of the regulars are taking their places for granted.

The Bantams lie sixth after 15 games and Thompson added: “You can’t get complacent because you know that will come out in the team. It’s as simple as that.

“Don’t perform and you won’t be in the team. Nobody is resting on their laurels. The only way to be sure of playing is to put in good performances and make it difficult for the gaffer to leave you out.

“We’ve got some great lads who aren’t in the team at the moment and that shows the standard within the squad. That’s how it’s got to be.

“You need that depth in squad, not just for the next game but for the next 30. That’s what a strong squad is for.

“You’ll pick up injuries like the loss of Dava (Andrew Davies) and Nahki (Wells) being out for a few games. You need ready-made replacements to step in who won’t weaken the team at all.”