IT MIGHT have slipped under the Wembley radar at the final but Bradford City had one more reason to celebrate FA Cup success.

After Phil Parkinson was crowned the competition's manager of the year for his side's charge to the last eight, rightfully collecting the Ronnie Radford giant-killing prize for knocking off Chelsea along the way, his was not the only Bantams name in lights.

At the end of Arsenal's destruction of Aston Villa – a contest ultimately every bit as one-sided as City's Capital One Cup lesson at the hands of Swansea two years ago – it was not just the likes of Sanchez and Cazorla grabbing all the glory.

An honourable mention should also go to the striker who finished with the most FA Cup goals and assists of the campaign. Step forward Jon Stead.

There may be no golden boot or silverware of any kind for the mantelpiece, but it's still a statistic to be proud off and neatly put the seal on a season that reinvigorated the 32-year-old's career.

No wonder City are keen to tie him down permanently after such a prolific second loan stint and head off continued interest from new Chesterfield boss Dean Saunders.

Stead has been away on holiday but is expected to sit down with Phil Parkinson this week to hammer out a deal. But the striker's stock has undoubtedly grown again.

"Hopefully we will able to get him at a level that fits in with our pay structure," said joint-chairman Julian Rhodes yesterday.

The rival interest in Stead is understandable after a season when he racked up 13 goals – 11 of them with the Bantams – and 11 assists.

It was his most prolific season since 2009, when he finished on the same tally for Ipswich, and the first time Stead had managed double figures in four years.

He made 49 appearances in total for City and Huddersfield with 39 starts. For Stead, that was another significant number after hitting a stop-start patch with injuries.

He said: "That was important for me. I wouldn't say I've been surprised but I'm pleased to have stayed injury-free.

"I played regularly at Bristol (City) but for the year and a bit I was back at Huddersfield, I was in and out. My groin injury was troubling me at times.

"There was always that little voice in the back of your head wondering if it was ever going to get back to where it should be.

"I thoroughly believed that I could still compete and still play regularly and be at a level where I feel I should be, so it's been nice that I've managed to get back to that.

"I still feel I had a sticky month and a half just after Christmas and I was a bit disappointed with a few of the games.

"But I feel I got towards that level again before the end of the season. I had that spell when I needed to pick things up and I managed to do that.

"It's almost been a perfect season for me at this time of my career and set me up nicely."

But back to the FA Cup and the one afternoon in particular that Stead rates as his pinnacle of achievement.

Even for a player who has represented England at under-21 level and featured in the Premier League, that stunning fourth-round day at Stamford Bridge stands head and shoulders above the rest.

He admitted: "I can't think of anything to beat it. I've had some good games, some good days and some big occasions – but that has got to be up there as the best.

"It was the size of what we achieved. It wasn't a Premier League game. It was Bradford City against Chelsea, the champions, at Stamford Bridge. People thought we had absolutely no chance and you couldn't blame them.

"That's why it will be remembered – not just by me, the players involved and the fans but by football people worldwide. They will talk about that game forever and that's such a proud thing to have been part of.

"Days like that are why you play football. If nothing else had happened in my career, I'd be proud just to have that one game.

"You think those kind of magical days are drifting away and then suddenly that happens. It's come on top of a lot in a decent career for me. It was very, very special."