MARK Bower has said he has received "no contact" from Bradford City, after being installed by bookies as joint third favourite for the vacant managerial role at the start of today.

The Bantams announced on Monday that boss David Hopkin had resigned from his position after 175 days and 28 league games in charge.

Several big names have been linked since including Phil Parkinson and Steve Evans.

Read more about who was the bookies favourite here...

But current Bradford (Park Avenue) boss Bower is a surprise front-runner, according to Sky Bet.

The former City skipper, who is Bradford born-and-bred, has denied any contact has been made by the Bantams.

He said: "It's very flattering to be on a list like that, but no nothing at all. I'm sure that I would know about it if there was anything in it.

"I really hope they get the right guy in to get them out the mess that they're in and get them safe this season. That's all I can say on that really."

Bower is only 39, but already has over five years of management experience in non-league football.

This includes a three year stint at Guiseley, where he won promotion to the Vanarama National League in 2015 and kept them up in the following season before being sacked.

Bower has continued to impress at Avenue where he dragged his side to the Vanarama National League North Play-Offs last season, despite limited resources, where they lost in the semis.

For much of this year, he had his side firing once again, this time right at the top of the table.

A sticky patch at the start of 2019 has tempered their optimism slightly, but Avenue are still strong contenders for a second successive play-off berth and possibly even more.

Bower, who was a pupil at St Bede's before making it in the professional game, has a strong association with the city and the Bantams.

The former centre-back spent much of his footballing life at Valley Parade, making 231 appearances, and hopes to see a turn in their fortunes.

He said: "I used to go and watch from being six-years-old, up until when I joined, and I spent a long time there as a player, so it's in your blood really.

"Obviously I was in the team that got relegated to League Two, I think it was about 12 years ago now, and it took an awful long time to get back, so they really can't afford to do that again.

"They need to, however they do it, stay up this season. They've got to do it."