Nathan Doyle reckons victory at Wembley will heal a six-year hurt.

Doyle was named player of the year in his first spell at City in 2006-07 – but that was tarnished by the club’s relegation to the bottom tier.

Now he is on the brink of a cup final appearance with them and struggling to come to terms with the transformation.

Doyle said: “I still get that ‘wow’ feeling when I wake up and realise we are going to play at Wembley in the League Cup final. It is a massive achievement in anyone’s career.

“I could never have predicted this when I came to Bradford. A League Two club just don’t go to a Wembley final like this.

“Because I was here a few years ago, I probably know the struggles the club have had a bit better than some.

“It wasn’t nice to leave and then watch Bradford get relegated. My heart sank when I saw what happened.

“We were in mid-table when I left and I felt for the lads, staff and everyone. That was the down side of football and it can be cruel.

“But this is the other side and let’s hope we can get the result everyone at this club deserves.”

City may still be stuck in League Two but Doyle has seen a big improvement in the facilities and preparations since coming back in August.

He said: “The club have changed a lot and really kicked on. The facilities at the training ground are massively different.

“We used to travel from the ground to training, which wasn’t ideal. We also have a lot more staff now with the sports science side.”

Having plotted the downfall of three Premier League opponents on the way to Wembley, Doyle knows exactly what it will take to shock Swansea.

He said: “You do notice the huge difference with the players in the Premier League but we have adapted really well. To beat them, we have to concentrate on our game plan.

“Every game is a cup final at certain stages of the season – or that is what people say. But this is a cup final and anything can happen on the day.”