Bradford City urged to avoid letting "well-liked" Bantams star leave | OneFootball

There will be plenty of big decisions for the power brokers at Valley Parade to make this summer

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Finally, after six seasons spent in League Two, it finally looks as though Bradford City are going to climb back into the third tier.

It has been a long wait, and their strong footing in the promotion places will excite fans, but it will add an extra layer to decisions over players in the summer if they do earn promotion.

One of those players out of contract at the end of the season is Jamie Walker, who has been a key cog in the Bantams' promotion push.

We asked our Bradford Fan Pundit, Boris, whether the 31-year-old should be offered a new deal at the end of this season.

Bradford urged to hand extension to Jamie Walker

Speaking to Football League World, Boris said: “To be honest, I think he's definitely deserving of a new contract.

“He still looks as physically capable as anyone on the pitch, including the younger lads that we've got like Bobby Pointon.

“And I also think he's a great personality to have in the dressing room. I think he's really well-liked, at least that's how it comes across to us as fans. And he's and he's played at a higher level up at Hearts in the Scottish Prem.

“So, I don't think there's any reason why he should be released. Even if he's not going to be a week-in, week-out starter, as maybe his physical capability deteriorates slightly with age, I think he's still a great player to have around the club.”

Bradford will need experience if they reach League One

Five points clear in the automatic promotion places with eight games to go, nobody at Valley Parade will be feeling like it’s job done just yet, but they are within their rights to start drawing up plans for if they do seal promotion.

Should they make that jump, they’ll need all the experience they can get to weather the initial storm of adjusting to the level, and Walker looks a good candidate to provide that.

Not only has he racked up 141 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, but he’s also got 20 League One outings to his name as well, with Wigan Athletic and Peterborough United.

Initially signing on loan in January 2022, Walker has been at the club for over three years now, so is well-adjusted to the club and his surroundings.

Bradford have brought in plenty of young talents in on loan this season; the likes of Jack Shepherd, Tayo Adaramola and Michael Mellon.

Like many other clubs who have just entered a new division, they will more than likely use a similar strategy next season, with their potential higher league giving them access to a better-quality pool of players to pick from.

But it’s not as simple as chucking the best raw talents together to produce results. Players need to settle into a team, some need to settle into first-team football itself. It can take time, but will produce incredible results if they have the right squad of senior professionals around them.

As Boris says, Walker may not be a guaranteed starter in League One, but he’s perfect to act as part of the glue to bind together some of the current squad with any new faces that arrive, while offering a quality squad option for Graham Alexander to turn to when necessary.