AS Lee Gaskell was being interviewed at the Bulls’ training ground last week, he was jokingly serenaded with ‘Warrington’ songs.

Not by any of his team-mates it has to be said, but by head coach Jimmy Lowes.

Rugby league is a small world and the rumour doing the rounds lately has it that Gaskell will be playing for Warrington next season.

As Lowes, grinning from ear to ear, teased his star man about the links, Gaskell was happy to set the record straight.

As casually as he glides through opposition defences, the laid-back playmaker delivered the news that every Bulls fan has been longing to hear.

“Even if Bradford don’t go up this season, I’ll be staying here because it’s in my contract and I’m happy to see out that contract,” said Gaskell.

“Oh yes, I’ll be here next season and there is no doubt about that.

“I’ve not spoken to any other clubs at all and I’ve still got another year left at Bradford.

“I’ve got a Championship contract and a Super League contract, so I would be breaking my contract if I spoke to anyone anyway.

“Hopefully I can sort something out with Bradford next year and stay here for many more years.”

So there you have it. The best player in the Championship publicly pledging his future to the Bulls even if they remain stuck in the second tier next season.

It says much for his depth of feeling for the club.

The 24-year-old progressed through the ranks at his hometown club St Helens and made a try-scoring debut under Mick Potter during a home defeat to Catalan in July 2010.

He enjoyed an outstanding 2011 campaign and played in Saints’ Grand Final defeat to Leeds but in March 2013 he joined Salford on loan until the end of the season.

Gaskell impressed in a struggling side and was offered a permanent contract by Salford but chose to join the Bulls instead on a two-year deal.

“Bradford are going in the right direction,” said Gaskell at the time of signing.

That particular quote did not prove the most inspired of prophecies.

A month after Gaskell’s signing was announced, Omar Khan left the club suddenly, sparking an ownership battle which had disastrous consequences.

A winter of discontent saw the Bulls enter administration for the second time in 18 months, a trio of directors abandon their bid to buy the club and the team docked six Super League points.

The effects of those few weeks could reverberate for years.

The Bulls were sleepwalking towards relegation all season and, as much as Gaskell enjoyed being a Bradford player, the off-field shenanigans were not what he had signed up for.

“There is no hiding away from that,” he admitted.

“To come here and, not long after be told the club is going into administration and that the directors are going, made for a worrying time.

“All the players stuck together and the coaching staff were good as well, which made it easier.

“We’ve always been paid on time and there was no reason to panic to be honest.

“But a few players left which made the task harder as we had a small squad as it was.

“It was disappointing to have six points taken away from us because when Jimmy came in at the back end of the year, it showed what a good squad we could have had if we’d had that confidence at the beginning of the season.”

When the Bulls’ fate was sealed, the club moved quickly to secure their top players for life in the Championship.

Gaskell had offers to stay in Super League but he was happy to lead the club’s promotion challenge in the second tier.

He said: “I left it to my agent and he said there were a few offers on the table but I didn’t actually speak to any other clubs because I didn’t want to.

“Jimmy had been good with me and put me back in that stand-off role, so I was enjoying my rugby again.

“I was playing well with confidence behind me, so it was never really an issue. It didn’t take long to sort out a deal for me to stay.”

To no-one’s surprise, Gaskell has taken the Championship by storm this season and looked a class apart in many games.

His form and fitness are the legacy of a profitable pre-season and he is now looking forward to the Super Eights.

Only then will the Bulls’ fate be decided as the club seek to return to Super League, an achievement owner Marc Green estimates would be worth an additional £2.5m in overall revenue next year.

Gaskell, who has played every game this year, admitted: “You would be stupid to say you would be happy playing in the Championship.

“I’m still only 24 and I think I’ve progressed so much over these last few years and showed I can hack it at Super League level. But I want to be in Super League with Bradford and that’s my main focus.

“The fans have stuck by us and we just need to dig deep as players now.

“But we’re confident and Super League clubs going into that middle eight are going to be low on confidence.

“We’ve just got to train hard, keep doing the right things and carry on winning games to get back to where we deserve to be.”

Gaskell got married at the end of last year to his long-term partner Courtney and the couple, who have a young son Leo, are due to add to their family with another boy in September.

Gaskell added with a huge smile: “It’s a relaxed environment when I go home… she cooks my tea for me so I can just sit on the sofa and relax!

“It’s been good because I can go home and just take my mind off rugby.

“I’m not constantly thinking about it. When you go out to play, that’s the time to think and do your job.”