David Wetherall is desperate to earn promotion before the end of his City career.

The centre back is set to make his 300th appearance for the Bantams against Stockport on Saturday since making his debut at Middlesbrough in August 1999.

That day he came up against illustrious names such as Paul Gascoigne and Paul Ince and helped keep a clean sheet as City made their Premiership bow with a 1-0 win.

On Saturday, he will face opposition from the other end of the spectrum and the contrast is another reminder of how far City have fallen.

Having gained the unwanted record of being relegated from every division with the Bantams, the 36-year-old is itching to experience the other side of the coin and finally gain promotion.

Wetherall revealed he could have left at the end of last season but said: "Wanting promotion is one of the main reasons why I stayed at the club,"

"I've wanted to see us going back in the right direction before I finish."

An automatic return to League One looked a distant prospect only three games ago but three wins on the bounce has given Wetherall renewed hope.

"We can climb the table and be in a position where we can push on towards the play-offs," he said.

"I was speaking to a coach from Hartlepool when the reserves played this week and they came from a similar position to us and finished second.

"Our manager is learning about this league all the time and may well make changes in January if we are in a position to strengthen.

"We need to keep this run going as long as we can, starting with a win against Stockport on Saturday.

"It does us a favour them having to play last night and might give us an advantage in the latter stages of the game."

The most memorable moment of Wetherall's career with City - and also the one with the most ramifications - was his diving header against Liverpool.

It kept them in the Premier League and led to Geoffrey Richmond's "six weeks of madness" when City overstretched themselves financially.

"It was a massive gamble which failed disastrously and the club have been picking up the pieces ever since," added Wetherall.

"But the club is now in a more stable position financially than it has been for a long time, and that is good for everybody."

The skipper has slotted seamlessly back into the dressing room as a player after his spell as caretaker boss last campaign.

He said: "Just being one of the lads again has never been a problem for me. The manager and the assistant being who are they are and the friendship I have with them has helped in that respect."

Boss Stuart McCall's 439 appearances for the Bantams is surely out of reach for Wetherall.

And whether he reaches No 2 Wayne Jacobs' 350 is open to debate.

But there is no doubt that City will always have a place close to the player's heart.