STUART McCall has not been given enough credit for the job he is doing at Valley Parade.

Peter Jackson believes his former City team-mate deserves so many plaudits after taking the club to Wembley in his first season back.

Jackson admits it will be a tough task to lift the club again following that play-off heartache but feels McCall is more than capable of ensuring they can bounce back.

The ex-Bantams skipper and boss said: "Stuart has not been praised enough.

"I've known him since he was 15 and it's difficult for him as a returning hero. He's come back three times now – as a player and a manager twice.

"It was turmoil really when Phil Parkinson left. It surprised everybody that he went – nobody had an inkling.

"He took all the staff, players left as well, and Stuart came into a club where there were new owners and all this pressure on him to achieve so much. Everybody wanted him to do so well and it was a really big ask.

"I think it's been under-rated how well Stuart has done and bringing in Greg (Abbott) was a great move. You ask him about a player and he knows everyone.

"Just because Bradford attract 18,000 every week doesn't necessarily make them a top-six side. It's about dedication and direction."

Millwall recovered from losing last year's play-off final to win promotion – but Jackson knows just tough it can be to shake off the despair after going so close.

He said: "I've lost at play-off stages and it's a strange feeling over the summer period. It's like a cloud hovering over the club.

"It all disappears once the new season starts but it's that interim month or two after the final.

"The fixtures come out and you look at what it could have been in the Championship with Derby, Aston Villa, Leeds and the Sheffield clubs. But it's important that the focus is going forward now.

"The attraction that Bradford have got is the size of the club and Stuart as a person and his name in football – he is respected by everyone. Hopefully the finances will be there for him and he'll be able to attract players."

Jackson was at last month's final and saw how hard the late defeat hit owners Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp.

He said: "I've met Edin a few times and he's ambitious. He wants success and was bitterly disappointed at Wembley.

"I spoke to him afterwards and he was in tears in the Royal Box. It was sad to see because I know how much had gone into it.

"It's basically ten months' work blown away in 90 minutes. Everybody was devastated but particularly Edin, you could see it in his face.

"It's important that they brush themselves down. It's easy people saying that but it's getting up and doing it.

"They must be positive from now on in and I'm sure they'll have another good season. Don't look back. It's gone now.

"A lot of faith has been put in Stuart. The supporters believe in him so much and he won't want to let anybody down. He'll be desperate to get promotion this time."