BRADFORD City defender Reece Staunton is really making a name for himself on loan at Bradford (Park Avenue) and manager Mark Bower says the size of some of the clubs in their division will only help the teenager.

There are some impressive stadiums and fallen giants in the Vanarama National League North, and it just so happens that Staunton's time at the club is coinciding with those big away days.

The left-back has only just turned 18, but Bower feels he already has a serious player on his hands.

He said: "Reece is a very good player, and I know they think highly of him there (at Bradford City).

"He's got good temperament too. Some come down to non-league from professional clubs and the physicality of it catches them out.

"But Reece has character and deals well with that side of things. He's also good on the ball, quick and he defends well."

Staunton, who became the Bantams' youngest ever player when he made his first team debut at 15, had initially joined Avenue on loan for a couple of weeks towards the end of November.

City and Avenue agreed to extend that deal by another month on December 20, and those spells have given, or will give, him the chance to feature in some plum fixtures.

Staunton penned a professional deal with City just before Christmas, which keeps him at Valley Parade until the end of the 2021-22 season. It is a sign that the Bantams have high hopes for him and will see his time with Avenue as key in his development.

Bower said: "He'll be playing in front of two or three thousand fans sometimes. He's already featured at Chester, and we've got away games coming up at York then Hereford.

"These sorts of clubs and stadiums are like the ones City are playing now, and they will want him to have that experience with us.

"The loan deal is good for all of us, especially Reece, and we want to help him on his way to becoming a full-time Football League player."