BRADFORD City midfielder Jack Payne may feel a little aggrieved after his heroic efforts in December went unrecognised by the EFL, who left him off the four-man shortlist for December's Sky Bet League One Player of the Month award.

Payne netted a brace against Plymouth Argyle in a 3-3 draw on December 8, before adding to his tally a fortnight later with the opener in a 2-0 win over Stuart McCall's Scunthorpe United.

He also recorded assists against Walsall and Rochdale but it was not just the bare statistics which impressed.

The on-loan Huddersfield star showed why he is commanding so much transfer speculation by pulling the strings over the busy Christmas period.

Payne can at least console himself with the fact that he has been integral to City's current surge in form, which has seen them win four of their last five games.

There is one Bradford district representative on the four-man shortlist though. No-nonsense central defender Matty Pearson, who plays for Luton Town, hails from Keighley.

City slayer Ivan Toney, who always seems to score against the Bantams, is also in contention for the award, having had a prolific month in front of goal for Peterborough.

The other two nominees are Portsmouth's Ronan Curtis and Doncaster Rovers' John Marquis.

Bantams boss David Hopkin is shortlisted for the Manager of the Month award, alongside fellow nominees Graham Coughlan (Bristol Rovers), Daniel Stendel (Barnsley) and Nathan Jones (Luton Town), who has today been named the new Stoke manager.