FROM India to Iceland, football has taken them far and wide.

Throw in France, Wales and deepest Devon and the briefest of team-mates are now flung across the map.

The motto 'have boots, will travel' is summed up perfectly with the group of wannabes that passed through Bradford City this time last year.

As the Bantams prepare for their first game of Stuart McCall's second reign today, a line-up that will be swelled by free agents looking for a deal, it is worth looking back at the class of pre-season 2015.

Phil Parkinson used 15 – yes, 15 – trialists during the build-up to the last campaign. Of that number, only two were given a deal and just one of them actually appeared in a City shirt.

The player in question, Greg Leigh, turned out nine times and scored two blinding goals. But he has now moved on to Bury in search of regular football after growing frustrated with being stuck in James Meredith's shadow.

The only survivor from the pre-season wannabes of 12 months ago then is goalkeeper Joe Cracknell – and he is yet to step on to the pitch in first-team combat.

Proof of the hit and, predominantly, miss nature of those who beg a trial at this time of year.

It was at Guiseley last time that Parkinson caused a disgruntled stir among the large contingent of away fans with a starting line-up that included nobody who had started a proper game for the club.

Seven of the 11 were trialists and another came on after the break. The rest were chiefly made up with youngsters, leaving the recently-signed Mark Marshall as the only genuine senior face on show.

It's now that time of the football calendar again when phones go into Google overdrive as fans look for any kind of clue to the foreign face that has suddenly popped up on the left wing.

Up and down the country, supporters of all clubs will be scanning dubious translations for any insight into the players suddenly wearing their proud colours.

By the time they have been identified, most are already on their way in the on-going search for future employment at wherever will take a punt.

So what did happen to those who didn't make the cut at City last July?

Sanchez Watt was the name that caused the major stir on opening day against Farsley. Once tipped to be the next big thing at Arsenal, Watt had since slid down the ladder but still generated plenty of interest.

A tap-in goal and cross for James Hanson's header later, it was a case of "thanks but no thanks" and he did not make the bus for the warm-up week in Scotland.

Instead Watt turned up in the sub-continent as one of four English players for the Indian Super League outfit Kerala Blasters. Some change from Throstle Nest!

Jamie McCombe, who played centre half in that first friendly, signed for Stevenage but left by mutual consent in January after 16 games.

Luke Hendrie, John's son, was with City through the whole pre-season and remains well thought of by Burnley. He spent a productive season on loan with Hartlepool and York, getting plenty of game time in League Two.

The same could not be said for Harrison Gilkes, who did not last beyond Farsley. After a season with Basingstoke, he has just signed for another Southern League club Slough Town.

City's squad north of the border was supplemented by several Scottish bodies, who stayed around long enough to appear again at Guiseley.

Two of them got fixed up back in Scotland – Conrad Balatoni with Lee Clark's Kilmarnock and midfielder Mark Fotheringham at Livingston.

Steve Saunders, who played for City against St Mirren, is now in Wales with The New Saints, while Mark McAusland headed further north in March to sign a two-year deal with Icelandic club Keflavik.

The Guiseley game saw a couple more added to the "who's that" list.

Adam Drury, the one-time Leeds winger, scored that night but did not get any further. He is now back on his native Humberside with Grimsby Borough.

And does anyone remember Billel Qsiyer? The RIASA graduate, who came on for the last 20 minutes, is back in France with Illzach Modenheim in the Alsace League.

Parkinson named a much stronger side at Whitby the following week but still gave a brief run-out to Luke Woodland, a Philippines international.

He did end up in Bradford – at Park Avenue towards the end of the season after a brief spell on Chester's books.

The final friendly against Burnley saw the one and only appearance of the highest-profile member of City's unattached set when Jussi Jaaskelainen took the gloves for the second half.

But Parkinson eventually decided against the veteran – and not cheap – Finn, who switched to Wigan instead and won a title.

There was one more trialist at Turf Moor but winger Joel Grant never got off the bench. The Jamaican international did manage to find another league club, however, and signed for Exeter.

That brings us to the present bunch, who are described as an "eclectic" mix of foreign and home-grown, according to those who have watched training.

For those eager to satisfy their football fix now the pain of the play-offs has eased, this afternoon will offer the annual chance to hammer Wikipedia on the mobile.

But history warns against getting too attached too soon to any unfamiliar names.