Andy Cook interview as he prepares for 100th Bradford City game

And few would bet against him marking his 100th appearance for the club with another goal to add to the 41 he has banged in - 21 in this season alone.

It makes a mockery of those who publicly doubted his credentials when Cook arrived on loan from Mansfield in the January 2021 transfer window.

The striker hasn’t forgotten.

“If I’m being brutally honest, I do remember when I signed and Bradford fans were saying, ‘why have we signed him? His goalscoring record is not very good this year’.

“But I don’t think people took into consideration that I was getting on for 30 seconds here, there and everywhere.

“What are you meant to do? I’m not a miracle man.

“I always knew if I get chances, I’d score goals. If I play regularly, I’ll score goals.

“I’ve done it my whole career so I don’t see why it would change just off the back of not playing for half a season.”

Had those loudmouths on social media taken more than a cursory glance at Cook’s CV they would have seen proof of that during his years as one of non-league’s most prolific hitmen with Barrow and Tranmere.

Cook scoring against City for Mansfield in January 2020 (Image: Thomas Gadd)

True to his word, barring a barren second half of last season coming back from injury, he has continued to hit the net with regularity.

What were Mansfield thinking when Nigel Clough declared him surplus to requirements?

Cook snorts at the mention of his former club and manager. He has scored in three of City’s four meetings with the Stags since - a fairly emphatic answer to their doubts.

“Yeah, I’m happy I’m not there anymore,” he added.

“I don’t think I got treated right so for me to come back and score against them the way I have been has been nice.

“I first came here on loan to get games and put myself back in the shop window.

“The perfect situation for me was to come to Bradford, do well and get a deal. That’s what I wanted from the day I stepped into the football club.”

Valley Parade was still off limits to the public when he walked in - a vast empty shell of a stadium during the Covid campaign played behind closed doors.

“It was weird, but I was used to it from the beginning of the season at Mansfield. Not to say that I was playing much like.

“I remember my first two goals at Cheltenham like it was yesterday. They were near the top, so it was a big win for us.

“It seems like five minutes ago.”

Cook rounds Cheltenham goalkeeper Josh Griffiths to score (Image: Thomas Gadd)

Cook’s latest goal was arguably the best of the bunch, a sumptuous solo finish at Gillingham after hustling one defender off the ball on the touchline, leaving another in a different postcode as he bore down on the penalty area and dinking over the keeper with a delicate touch.

It was his 18th goal in the league - taking him one clear at the top of the division’s scoring charts.

Cook smiled: “I’m happy at the minute. I’ve done what I thought I could have done last year this time.

“Maybe if I didn’t get injured, I’d have backed myself to get 20 goals last season. But obviously that wasn’t to be.

“I came into the season full of confidence that I could do it and I have. I don’t want to stop now.

“I’d be lying if I was saying I didn’t want to be top scorer in the league at the beginning of the year.

“But the main thing is helping the team get where they want to be. If I get that along the way, it’s a bonus.”

Out of contract in the summer, Cook plays down talk about his own future but admits it would be “lovely” to get offered a deal.

Mark Hughes is comfortable to wait until later in the season - and a better idea of the club’s position - before getting down to the nitty-gritty.

But it’s clear what the dressing room think after captain Richie Smallwood’s comments that City’s current status in the play-off places is purely down to the goal input of their number nine.

Cook wheels away after goal number 21 on Tuesday at Gillingham (Image: Thomas Gadd)

“It’s nice of your teammates to think that but it’s not just because of me, let’s be honest,” added Cook.

“We’ve played away from home the last two games and got clean sheets. You’ve got the back four, you’ve got ‘H’ (Harry Lewis), it’s not all about me.

“I’m just lucky enough to be putting the ball in the back of the net and getting the goals to win us some games.

“It is nice to do what I’m doing and be among the goals but I’m not finished yet. Hopefully it continues to the end of the season.”