KIAN Scales remains “100 per cent” convinced that he will crack it in League Two.
The young City midfielder is spending the season in the National League North on loan at Farsley Celtic.
Like Finn Cousin-Dawson, Scales was told to get regular football elsewhere by Mark Hughes.
The 20-year-old is featuring for the Celts in a variety of roles - although he was sent off in last week’s home loss to Chester.
Two seasons on from getting his first break with City, Scales is certainly not giving up on his ambitions of making the grade in the EFL.
Scales said: “I played for Bradford in League Two as a first-year pro at 18 and thought I did quite well.
“Probably Bradford fans haven’t seen it, but I’ve come on a long way in those two years. I’ve learned things about my game, I’ve developed, got stronger and got quicker.
“A season in the Conference North is going to toughen me up even more.
“Even from the short amount I’ve played so far, I’ve wisened up a lot.
“You can only get that from playing proper games at men’s level, not from training matches or in the reserves. You need something on the line.
“I 100 per cent believe that I’m good enough to play in the Football League and that’s hopefully what I will be doing.”
Scales has made 27 appearances for the Bantams and scored a memorable goal in a win at Colchester in March 2021.
He saw plenty of game time for Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars during the behind-closed-doors campaign.
But things were very different last season under Derek Adams with Scales restricted to just two sub outings in League Two and a couple of EFL Trophy starts.
“Obviously it would have been better with the fans there when I was playing games in that first season.
“But it probably made the transition a little easier as a young pro.
“It was the season after when I wanted to stride on but I didn’t really get the opportunity.
“I’m still young and this season was massive for me because I needed to play games.
“I just needed to prove to myself and other people that I could grind out performances Saturday, Tuesday and play 90 minutes.
“I do think I’ve got the ability but it’s about showing it. To play 40 games in a season is only going to benefit me going forward.”
The academy product played six times on loan with the Celts last term but felt better equipped this time after coming straight out of a full pre-season with City.
“That made a massive difference,” he added. “I felt good and it did me well going straight into games. I was match fit and not having to play catch-up.
“It probably took me about a month last season to get up to speed but this time I was ready to go and hit the ground running.
“Playing games has massively benefited me and I’ve learned a lot about myself in a tough league coming up against different opposition.
“You’re coming up against teams that will either shell it or can pass it around. Every week is different and you can add little bits to your game.
“It’s hard being at the bottom but there are miles bigger teams than Farsley with better resources.
“You see South Shields in the FA Cup the other week, they are a league below Farsley and they are full time.
“There are plenty of full-time teams now and it’s going to get more and more.
“The standard is always getting better as more and more money is put into it. Teams want to push up because they’ve seen others who have done it like Salford.”
Scales has also added a few strings to his bow with a mix of attacking and defensive roles for his loan club. He feels he is becoming a more rounded player.
“I’ve played at right back, right wing-back, defensive mid, attacking midfield, left wing and right wing!
“I don’t mind. I think it’s a big strength of mine that I can be versatile and play those different positions.
“It’s massive to be able to do that in today’s game. You see with Chelsea, they change formation two or three times a game.
“You’ve got to understand different roles so playing them has helped me learn about my game and other people. Further back you can see more of the game and dictate people around you.”
Scales is contracted at Valley Parade until the end of the season and City continue to monitor his progress.
“I’m still in at Bradford training on Monday and Fridays and Farsley Tuesday and Thursday.
“I’m in contact with them a lot and they’ll ask on a Monday how the game went. You still stay connected.”
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