Injured Bradford striker Cook determined to return

Bradford City striker Andy Cook has said he has no doubts about making a return from a serious knee injury.

The 34-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a League Two game at Barrow on 1 January.

Cook has scored 77 goals in 169 league games for the Bantams since initially joining them on loan from Mansfield in January 2021.

"I will be putting that number nine shirt back on, that is for definite. I will be back, that is a fact," he told BBC Radio Leeds.

"I can't wait because there is nothing better than playing in front of this crowd here at Valley Parade."

He added: "The day I found out I had done my ACL I was straight on to Google and searching players who had done it because I was 34 years old and I'd never had a serious injury before.

"I was looking at Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], did it at 38 and 40 and he came back and played but people are saying Andy Cook will be done? No, that's not going to be the case. I've got it in me to come back from this.

"[Alan] Shearer, my idol, did it in when he was younger and came back and scored 30-odd goals in a season. I'm not saying I'm going to do that but why can't I come back and play on until I'm 40 like Zlatan?"

Cook has not put a timeframe on his return to playing but is looking to get back running at the training ground in the the next three weeks.

He said he has been "grateful" for the support he has had from the club and fans.

"I can imagine some places you get injured and you get forgotten about a bit but that's not the case here and that keeps me in a good place," he added.

"I've put a lot into it when I've been fit. I've put everything into it when I've played, even if I've not had a good game I've tried and grafted. I'm grateful for the support I get and I think that just shows what I've done out on the pitch. It helps as well."

In the absence of their top scorer, Graham Alexander's men have climbed up to second in the table.

Cook, who is the club's longest-serving player, has said his own outlook has been helped by the team's on-pitch success.

"I found it difficult at first, obviously I want the lads to win and go in the right direction which we have been but it's hard sitting in the crowd," he said.

"You go from playing week in and week out scoring goals to now my season done. But it makes my life easier rehabbing and coming to games when the lads are doing well. I'm coming to work and doing what I can do and the lads are doing what they can do and that makes me happy.

"I'm the longest-serving player so obviously that makes it harder because I've been through it all since I've been here.

"The last thing I want to be doing is sitting here, I want to be out there and helping the lads out. But if I can help them out around the training ground then that's how I want to be."

Saturday's thumping 4-1 win over play-off chasing Colchester means the Bantams go into the final eight games of the season one point off leaders Walsall and five points clear of fourth-placed Port Vale.

This is their sixth season in the bottom tier of the EFL and Cook has said winning promotion would be "unreal".

"It's good where the team are and we've just got to keep going," he said.

"It's obviously sad I can't be involved but at the same time I'm over the moon because we all want the same thing.

"If the team could get promoted it would be class, it would be unreal.

"My main thing is getting out of this league. It's something I've had my eyes set on since I walked in the door, even on loan. It is what we have wanted every single year."