Bantams striker Jake Young on fighting his way back at club

The striker has fully recovered from his hamstring injury and is raring to go in pre-season.

It has been a turbulent time for Young since he signed at Valley Parade in 2022 on a three-year deal.

In the first part of an exclusive interview with the T&A, he revealed that the length of his contract helped keep him going after former boss Hughes made it clear quite early on that he would not feature in his plans.

“Maybe some people thought that I wouldn’t play for the club again but I was always hoping that I would,” said Young.

“I was aware that I’d signed a long contract here, so I always had that hope that I’d put that shirt on again, which is what I wanted to do.

Mark Hughes left Jake Young off last year's Spain trip (Image: Thomas Gadd)

“That’s why I chose to go on loan last summer rather than permanently. I still believed that there was a chance for me to play for Bradford because I was only a year into my deal.

“I had that security and I know how things can change quickly in football. It can be turned upside down in a matter of weeks.

“Okay, things weren’t great for me at that time. But there was no reason for me to believe that if I went and showed what I could do elsewhere that I wouldn’t be able to return and play under different circumstances.

“It wasn’t the start to my Bradford career I’d expected. But there’s always that bit inside you that thinks, ‘I’m not done here yet, I’m not even started here yet’.

“To accept that I was finished here was something that I wasn’t going to do.

“I haven’t and never would throw my toys out the pram.

“You’ve got to have that resilience and be prepared to go and try something different with the view that I wanted to come back and play here.”

Young started just three league games for Hughes before joining Barrow on loan for the second half of his first season.

But last summer was his lowest point when he was left behind from the pre-season training camp in Spain.

Jake Young was the only senior City pro to play at Avenue (Image: Thomas Gadd)

“You know all the right things to be telling yourself. But if you’re a footballer not playing football, I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t knock your confidence.

“I did feel like a completely different person in a completely different place to what I do now and what I did before.

“That pre-season hit me hard as I was with the younger lads in the academy.

“I played the (Bradford) Park Avenue game and found out that I wasn’t going to Spain on the day.

“It was definitely tough. But it makes you resilient and shows what character you’ve got.

“I can take some pride that I did everything properly. I trained properly with the academy.

“I wasn’t done at the club, so I didn’t want to go in flipping tables and calling people names.

“I knew I was nowhere near the finished article and I’m still not.

“People have different opinions about you. I’ve come across plenty of managers and coaches that won’t rate you and plenty that do.

“I just want some respect as a person and the opportunity to learn. I would never have a problem if that’s the case.

“But looking back now, it was a good learning curve. I’m still young and I’ve learned what to expect if I’m put in certain situations.”

Young’s fortunes were rejuvenated by his loan move to Swindon – where he scored 16 goals in half a season and was twice named League Two player of the month.

“Scoring a few seconds into my first game was such a big relief,” he added. “It lifted everything for me.

“I used that to elevate me to keep that run going and it felt that everything I touched turned to gold.

Jake Young scored four in a game against Crawley (Image: Swindon Town)

“As a striker, you have those spells and want them to last as long as possible.

“You have certain spells when everything falls into place. My six months at Swindon was definitely one – but I’m hoping it’s not the last six months like that.

“I’m looking to replicate that in a Bradford shirt which is what I’m wanting to do.”

After being out in the cold under Hughes, Young found an ally in former City skipper Michael Flynn – the Swindon boss at the time.

“He took a lot of pressure off me when I got there. He knew the position I was in and gave me a lot of confidence before I’d touched a ball.

“He gave me that opportunity and said the right things. He had a go when he needed to and put his arm round me when that was needed and was a great person to learn from.

“I’m 22 and still learning. If I want to get to where I think I can, I’ve got a lot to learn.

“It was a great place for me to do that.”

TOMORROW: Jake Young on January, his injury, Graham Alexander and the season ahead.