Bradford City Player of the Year Stuart McCall believes his performances this season have been the perfect response to the critics who claimed he was coming back to Valley Parade to wind down his career.

The Bantams skipper picked up the Telegraph & Argus/JCT 600 award in front of hundreds of City fans at last night's awards ceremony at the Bradford Stakis Hotel.

McCall has been an inspiration for City since returning to Valley Parade on a free transfer from Glasgow Rangers last summer.

City fans voted for the award either by post or in a telephone poll and the delighted former Scotland international told the T&A: "It is a real honour because this is an award voted for by the fans. Mind, it has cost me a fortune re-dialling my number all the time!

"I heard a few whispers last summer that I was coming back to wind down rather than to face a new challenge. I hope I have proved those people wrong.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed this season because it has gone far better than even I could have imagined. The fans have been brilliant to me so I am proud to win this award."

McCall, who polled just over half the votes, suffered a nightmare start to the season when he was injured in the opening day defeat at home to Stockport. He then missed the next four games before playing a huge part in City's season being turned round.

He said: "The first week was awful with the injury because I think some people thought I might be injury-prone. It took me some time to recover from that because I was not fully fit."

McCall paid tribute to his team-mates, saying everything the side had achieved had been down to teamwork.

"There have been a lot of good individual performances so it is doubly pleasing to be awarded Player of the Year by the people that matter, the fans."

Lee Mills recorded the second highest number of votes.

The winner of the readers' poll prize draw was Valerie Barwick, of Brantwood Oval, Bradford, who receives a signed City shirt.

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