Zak Whitbread could have been at Bradford

But the Town stopper insists he has no regrets about missing out on a switch to the Bantams before he signed for Micky Mellon last October.

The 32-year-old said: "I was there training before I came to Shrewsbury and it was going to happen, but Paul Anderson broke his leg so they had to get a replacement in which depleted the budget.

"I enjoyed my time there even though it was only a few days. It's a big club – they get big crowds for this division, they're a good set of lads and they've got a good manager."

Bradford are the second-best supported club in League One and are well placed to clinch a play-off place.

But Whitbread, who returns to contention after a one-match ban tomorrow, insists there is no looking back at what might have been.

He said: "I don't look at it like that and I don't think they could have done anything about it. It's just football. I haven't got any regrets.

"It was unfortunate at the time but I've been fortunate enough to be part of a great club here with a great team, coaches and fans behind us.

"I've really enjoyed it here, I'm delighted it worked out this way and I'm focused on keeping Shrewsbury in this division and getting us more clean sheets. There were no hard feelings."

Whitbread admits it got to a stage where he was talking contracts with Bradford.

He continued: "I spoke to the manager (Phil Parkinson) and it was mentioned with the chief operating officer (James Mason).

"But before we could get started Paul Anderson got injured on the Saturday and they had to get a winger in. I was made up to come here not long after and I've enjoyed it ever since."

Bradford are bang in form having reeled off four 1-0 wins and won six in seven, conceding just twice, and their run doesn't surprise Whitbread.

He said: "They've really stepped on the gas because they were a bit inconsistent early on but they were always fine lines away from getting the results.

"They don't concede many and they've picked up a good run of wins to put them right in the mix."

Bradford have big guns James Hanson and Steven Davies to bring on and Whitbread has backed Town's defence to deal with 'the cavalry.'

He said: "That's what you've got to expect – 90 minutes of anything and everything. We've been working on it, so we'll be prepared.

"Grant Holt is in a similar mould so it's something you come across a lot. We've got to be mentally and physically strong and stand up to it.

"It's more how we go about it and prevent it, but we've got enough to make a stamp on the game ourselves."