Bantams midfielder Law won't follow in father's footsteps

Not that, at 29, Law is quite ready for the pipe and slippers just yet.

But in football, it’s an age when the clock is ticking and the midfielder would be foolish not to start looking at his future options.

For someone who has grown up with the game thanks to his namesake dad, it’s no surprise that Law would love to stay involved.

But he does not see himself as a second Nicky Law in the manager’s dug-out.

“I’d like to stay in football but I don’t think a manager would be me,” he said. “I’m not sure that’s my kind of thing – I’m a bit too quiet and laid-back.

“But I’d enjoy something like coaching kids or maybe even getting involved with the telly side of it. I’d definitely like to stay in the game in some way.

“It’s really all I’ve known. As long as I can remember, all I used to do was go and watch football wherever dad was playing.

“I left school early to go in at Sheffield United, so I don’t think I know much else.

“But I’m getting to that point now where I’m going to need to think about what will happen after.”

Former Bantams boss Law senior is currently enjoying his role as Burnley’s head of national recruitment for the under-17 to under-23s. He bowed out after nearly ten years in charge of non-League Alfreton in February.

The Derbyshire club was the last stop in a managerial stint that began in 2000 with Chesterfield and also featured Grimsby and Buxton as well as a challenging 22 months at Valley Parade, during City’s first spell in administration in 2002.

But son is not tempted to follow in father’s footsteps – unlike City team-mates Tony McMahon and Romain Vincelot, who are both studying to get on to the coaching ladder one day.

Law said: “I know Macca and Romain have started doing their coaching badges but they are different characters.

“You could probably see both of them going on and maybe trying their hand at management.

“I’d quite like, maybe under Kenny (Black), that first-team coach role where the guy just stands on the side and doesn’t say anything.

“Just going round putting the cones out at training every day and then collecting them afterwards – I think that would be quite nice!

“But I probably don’t get worked up enough to be a manager, not like dad.

“If you’ve been to a game close to the dugout then you’ll know he kicks every ball. He has that angry side to him.

“But that gene seemed to skip us all. (Brother) Josh is quite similar to me when he plays and I think my dad gets quite angry watching us sometimes.

“He wants to see you running round, heading people, tackling people and that’s not really our game.”

With Josh now playing for York in National League North, Law senior tries to catch the odd game when he can. But he has deliberately steered away from trying to influence how his two sons have gone on in their careers.

“He coached us in the under-tens up to under-14s at Chesterfield,” said Nicky junior. “We were in the same youth set-up.

“But when we both went full-time, he took a backward step. He likes to watch the games but he doesn’t try to get too involved.

“He’s interested, of course, but he lets you get on with it and make your own decisions.

“It was more difficult when he was coaching you. Obviously the other parents would say that stuff like you’re only getting picked because your dad is the manager.

“It is quite tough and obviously Josh was with him at Alfreton for four or five years after that, so he still had it.

“I remember neither of us wanted to sit in the front of the car on the way back from games on a Sunday because dad would be rollicking us for everything we’d done wrong.

“Those journeys might have only been 45 minutes some days but it felt like four or five hours at times. Your ears would be ringing afterwards.

“But obviously it put us in good stead for our careers ahead.”

Law admits City have not yet caught the eye this season, Saturday’s home loss being another stuttering display.

He said: “You can’t read too much into the start but we know our performances have to improve.”