On Parade - with John Hendrie

 As the season approaches half-term, one player has really stood out for me.

Young Luke O’Brien has probably been the most consistent player in the last couple of months since being thrown in against Accrington Stanley.

A lot of young players get the feeling that no matter how good or bad they do, they won’t be in the team for long. They are only filling in until the established senior is fit to return and I’m sure that was at the back of his mind.

It was also a wee bit make-or-break time for Luke because at 20 you have to be there or thereabouts around the first team. If you haven’t made the breakthrough by that age, then maybe it’s time to think about moving on.

People develop at different ages and some clubs keep young players a wee bit longer but Bradford can’t really afford to do that for financial reasons.

But Luke has come in and taken his opportunity with both hands. He’s defended well and has also been keen to overlap and deliver crosses into the box.

He is consistent, sticks to his task and works well with the unit. His energy levels have also been very good.

You can see Luke’s confidence is growing with each game and he has really upped his standards in the last six weeks.

Obviously he can’t rest on his laurels and has to take that into the new year. There is still a long way to go but it’s great to see how well he’s done so far and he deserves a big pat on the back.

Every manager wants hungry players all day long and it’s great to see youngsters with that desire. He knows Paul Heckingbottom will be snapping at his heels to get back in but he’s got that carrot in front of him now to keep proving himself in the team.

There hasn’t been a great deal coming through the system in the past few years, so Luke is a great example to others lower down.

Luke and Joe Colbeck, and to a lesser extent Mark Bower because he’s been established a long time, are the flagbearers. You’ve also got a few on the fringes like Luke Sharry and Leon Osborne and Louis Horne just below that.

Let’s hope Luke can keep playing his part in a successful 2009 for everyone concerned with City.

I’d like to wish every fan a merry Christmas and a very happy Hogmanay.

l John Hendrie, who was talking to Simon Parker, is a sports consultant with LCF.