STUART McCall reckons City's young stars can further their football education at Valley Parade – just like he did.

The Bantams boss was thrilled to get Danny Devine's signature on a new three-year deal through to June 2019.

Devine's performances in his first season of senior football had alerted other interest and City acted quickly to tie down the 19-year-old midfielder.

Ellis Hudson and Reece Webb-Foster have also penned long-term contracts in the club's determination to protect their bright prospects.

McCall said: "It's all about development and getting one or two players through to the first team every couple of years.

"Danny is progressing really well and we want to help him with that. He's a great lad who is learning every day at training and maturing."

City have had a reputation in recent years for selling on their best young assets, a policy they felt necessary at the time to generate funds during some of the club's leanest periods.

The likes of Andre Wisdom, Tom Cleverley, Fabian Delph and George Green were moved on to Premier League academies.

Swansea signed striker Oliver McBurnie 15 months ago in a deal which the T&A understands was worth £250,000 up front with future add-ons.

McCall said: "It depends how successful your club are. If you are trying to push into a higher league, then you've got to hold on to your assets a little bit longer.

"If you don't see a map or a road for that, you take the money and try to build your club a little bit stronger.

"It would be great to be in a position where we didn't have to let an Olly McBurnie go. But it's business as well and common sense.

"You've got to value it up and decide how much a player is worth. In an ideal world it would be nice to turn round and say no.

"A good youngster comes through and he plays a few seasons for you. He improves along the way rather than going to a club where he sits in the reserves for two years.

"But money talks in football and it depends what your business plan is."

McCall admitted he had the chance to have left Valley Parade as a youngster.

But he remained a mainstay of City sides throughout the 1980s, making 268 appearances before joining Everton after play-off exit under Terry Dolan.

McCall said: "I was fortunate. I could have moved on earlier in my career but because my heart was always at the club, I wanted to stay longer. I had a great football development for eight years here.

"People say I lacked ambition because I didn't go until I was 24. But I was learning, enjoying my football and playing in a successful side. It was the club I wanted to play for. It's getting that balance.

"When I was in Scotland, I've seen young players wanting to go to England who can't get down here quick enough. But they rot in the reserves and end up heading back.

"I would always give honest advice to young lads. When Andy O'Brien was here years ago, I was telling him 'you'll get your move' and he did.

"Look at Jacko (Peter Jackson) when he went to Newcastle. He was 25 at the time and he'd got 300 games under his belt.

"Yeah, you can go to a higher club and get more money. But then you're stuck in the reserves or go out on loan to a team in our league and you lose that momentum.

"It might change now because agents make their money by players moving on.

"Obviously if a player is going to treble or quadruple his money, then you can understand it. But sometimes you've got to think about the actual football education.

"Surely it would be better for Danny, for example, to stay and play two or three seasons here and get a lot of football under his belt."