FORMER Bantams prospect Danny Forrest is confident best friend Mark Trueman will bounce back from his sacking by City earlier in the week.

The Silsden boss admitted, despite being a City fan himself, it meant a lot more to him with Trueman in charge, and he said the criticism aimed at the 33-year-old in the final few weeks of his reign was hard to hear.

Discussing how Trueman is after his departure, Forrest said: “He’s alright, though it’s not nice for him, being stood down, as he’d got the taste for it and was keen for more.

“But then that’s football and that’s life. We can all be disappointed for him, but life goes on and he’ll be stronger for the experience.”

Asked whether he could see Trueman managing again in the Football League, Forrest said: “I wouldn’t see why not.

“He’s an ambitious young coach who’s got years left ahead of him.

“He’ll have a bit of belief having done it now, he’ll be thicker skinned and also have an understanding of what it’s like to be around the first team day in, day out.

“He’ll be better for the experience, despite the fact that it’s still raw for him.”

Trueman is at least all set to stay at the club in a new role, and Forrest enthused: “For me, the club are better off with him there, in whatever capacity.

“That’s the bottom line for me. All I know is what I’ve read (about him being offered a role) and I understand he wants to stay.”

Talking about whether he found himself having a more vested interest in City with his best pal at the helm, Forrest said: “Obviously City were a massive part of my life when I was younger, and I’m a City fan through and through.

“But when your mate is thrown in there into the top job, I’d say it does mean a lot more.

“I took notice of his interviews, pre and post-match, and it just became all the more interesting.

“I’m delighted with how he’s done and how his reputation as a coach and as a person has been enhanced.

“He’s certainly done himself no harm.”

But criticism did come Trueman and Conor Sellars’ way when the team started to slide in the last couple of months of the season.

Forrest admitted: “Football is results-based but I felt for Mark.

“It hurt looking at the criticism of him towards the end, knowing how much work he was putting in but it not going as well on the pitch as he’d hoped it would.

“I’d hope he would hold his head up high as he’s done a fantastic job.”

With Trueman losing the top job, could Forrest be managing him at Silsden next season, as he has done on several occasions in the past?

He laughed: “He was actually playing at Thackley just before he had to do the City role full-time, so it might be another fight with Pat McGuire for his services (the trio are all close).

“I imagine that won’t be on his mind at the moment though, and he’ll be concentrating on what’s next for him at City.

“He’ll want to get into that and what his new role there might be.

“But selfishly we’d certainly have him come back to Silsden if he wanted.”