Simon Ramsden is happy to become old before his time if it helps City mount a successful League Two promotion challenge.

An influx of young talent into the first-team squad has left the 28-year-old defender feeling his age ahead of his first full season as captain.

Ramsden has been appointed skipper for the forthcoming campaign after assuming the armband midway through last season and knows there is heavy responsibility in setting an example for City’s up-and-coming stars.

He said: “It’s strange. Time seems to go so fast that I’m one of the older ones now.

“Obviously in training we play an ‘old vs young’ game and I’m on the ‘old’ team, which doesn’t feel right at all.

“With the age of this side, I would class myself as one of the more experienced ones.

“The gaffer wants the older lads, like myself, Lee Bullock and Zesh, to get messages across to the younger lads while we’re out on the pitch and lead them through the difficult times.

“I’ve loved being one of the team’s leaders. Stuart McCall made me captain just before he left and the gaffer kept me there.

“I really enjoy that role, obviously trying to help those people and give the younger lads a chance to improve their game.”

Aside from a blend of youth and experience, Ramsden believes the current squad will also benefit from a strong versatility.

Not only has manager Peter Taylor recruited a squad with genuine depth, he has instilled his players with an altruistic attitude intended to make them flexible enough to face any situation.

Ramsden said: “We’ve got players in the team who can probably play three or four positions themselves but also we’ve got two players in every position.

“At times you’re going to pick up injuries and suspensions. Hopefully they’re at a minimum but if they do happen, we feel we’ve got the strength in depth to keep up.

“Luckily throughout my career I’ve played in quite a few positions, even up front to be honest.

“The gaffer knows, not just with myself but others as well, we can do a job for the team and fill in.

“At the end of the day it’s about doing a job for the side. You have to forget about your own role as such, not be so selfish, and if the gaffer needs to put you in a different position and we get the win that’s all that matters.”

But Ramsden was quick to stress the importance of preventing confidence from spilling over.

A quiet optimism has pervaded the City camp, although there is a notable absence of ‘big talk’, with the players making a conscious decision to walk the walk before talking the talk.

“Obviously you can do too much talking,” said Ramsden.

“The bookies have made us favourites and there’s been a lot said about the gaffer and who he’s brought in this summer and just because we’re Bradford City we’ve got a divine right to win this league. That isn’t the case.

“We’ve got to forget all the talk. We’ve got to look to get three points in every single game this season and then we don’t need to do any talking because it’s there in proof at the end of the season when we get promoted.

“We’re all raring to go.”