Bradford City plot move for Crewe Alexandra manager Lee Bell | OneFootball

Crewe Alexandra boss Lee Bell is reportedly in the frame to be the next Bradford City manager.

According to Pete O’Rourke from Football Insider, the 40-year-old is one of the names at the top of Bradford’s shortlist, as they look to find a successor to Mark Hughes over the international break.

The Bantams parted company with Hughes last week, with the Welshman leaving the Yorkshire side sat in 18th in League Two from 11 league matches.

Despite a successful run to the play-off semi-final last campaign for the first time since 2017, Bradford have won just four games so far this term and believe a change is right as they look to push themselves back into promotion contention this term.

Bradford have currently placed Kevin McDonald in interim charge, with the 34-year-old overseeing a 1-0 victory over Swindon Town last weekend to provide some positivity among the fanbase.

Lee Bell in his playing days was a youth product of Crewe and made 22 appearances in their promotion winning campaign in the 2002/03 season.

After departing his boyhood club, the now 40-year-old joined Burton Albion, but injuries blighted the early stages of his playing career with foot and ankle problems leading to his release from the Brewers after playing just 12 games.

Bell became a first-team mainstay in his next two stints at Mansfield and Macclesfield Town, making a combined 158 league appearances.

Towards the end of his career, Bell would make returns to Burton Albion, Macclesfield and Crewe, before retiring and being handed his first managerial opportunity with the Railwaymen.

The Cheshire-born man is earning himself a reputation as one of the brightest young managers in the country since taking over in December 2022.

Since stepping into the Crewe hotseat, Bell has taken charge of 47 senior matches at the Cheshire club, winning 17 and drawing 14.

He led Crewe to a 15th-place finish last term after taking charge with the club sitting 16th in the table and winless in nine games.

The forward-thinking coach has undergone a breakthrough campaign at Gresty Road, guiding the team to sixth place in the fourth-tier after 12 games.

They are currently the top scorers in the division despite having one of the smallest budgets in the league, with the former Crewe midfielder also enjoying leading his side to a memorable League Cup victory at Championship high-fliers Sunderland earlier this season.

With all these accolades secured in such a short space of time in his first managerial post, Bell is backing up the talk of why he is seen to be one of the most exciting up-and-coming managers in England.

The most impressive aspect about Bells’ success is his ability to earn results on a shoe-string budget, with anticipation sure to be gathering about what he can achieve when given the necessary funds.

With Bradford boasting one of the higher budgets in the division, their pull could be enough to lure the 40-year-old away from Crewe, giving the opportunity for Bell to coach a squad with much more potential and provide a realistic chance of earning a first promotion on his impressive early CV.

With such a long way to go in the League Two season to transform their fortunes, it would be seen as a real coup for Bradford to secure the services of Bell, with the Paraders aiming to host League One football at Valley Parade for the first time since the 2018/19 season.