ZAC Hadi feels he is part of City’s “team shut-out” now after making a faultless debut.
The 20-year-old was thrown in for the Jersey Mike’s Trophy win over York with Jon McCracken on international duty and Cameron Dawson injured.
Hadi responded with some big saves to extend the team’s remarkable run of clean sheets this season.
McCracken has already claimed 13 in 17 appearances with Dawson chipping in with another at Rotherham in an early Trophy group game.
So, Hadi had an extra incentive not to concede on his debut this week.
“That was the big thing. Jon and Daws have done so well at keeping clean sheets in the league and other cup competitions, this one included, so that was my main target.
“Do just as good as them and sort of make it a team effort for the goalkeepers. See how many clean sheets we can keep.”
City predict a bright future for Hadi, who admits he has learned so much from working alongside the other keepers. Coach Colin Doyle has been a huge inspiration.
Hadi said: “I've been with Doyler for the last three, four, maybe five years and he's been such a good role model to me.
“Obviously, he's had a tremendous career and he's going to continue to have a tremendous coaching career.
“I think he's been really good with us and he's just been a massive help to me, making me a better person, better goalkeeper and everything.
“I've got three really good goalkeepers and a former goalkeeper that can really help me in my career.
“Obviously, Jon's away (with Scotland) but all the work that we do throughout the week, throughout this whole season and stuff, it's helped me get to where I am.
“I'm sure they were all happy that we've kept another clean sheet. We'll keep it a team effort.”
Hadi was one of six players to feature who had come through the City ranks. He first joined the club aged nine.
“I've been here since I was a kid and this is something I've always worked up to. My family and I are all from Bradford.
“Even though some of my family don't support Bradford, if you live in Bradford, you're always following Bradford City. You can't not.
“I've always wanted to work my way up to it and to do it at Valley Parade with friends, family and everyone watching was just a really special moment for me.”
A posse of around 20 were waiting to greet Hadi after the game but the towering stopper insisted there had been no extra nerves.
“If you'd have told me maybe two or three years ago that, ‘oh, you're starting tomorrow night’, I might have been a bit nervous and a bit shaky about it.
“But I’ve waited so long and been preparing to do this. So, there was no real nerves about it, it was more just another game.
“I've had a good few years and a good few loans, so I know the game a lot more now. Funnily enough, I played York around this time last year for Clitheroe and obviously won that.”
By a strange quirk, York also fielded a City academy graduate in goal as George Sykes-Kenworthy returned to the club where he began his football.
Hadi added: “I never really got the opportunity to train with George but Graeme Kennedy, who was our goalie coach in the youth team, was always talking about him.
“He was a couple of years older than me, so he was always using him as a role model. Obviously, he's gone on to do really good things and hopefully I can do one better maybe.
“The first save that came in, it was quite slow and I thought, 'all right, keep it simple here'.
“In my head. I was saying 'do not let that slip through your hands, just pat it down, make sure it sticks'.
“Then after that, I felt really comfortable. It's just another game and there's no point in treating it like anything else.”
Having had a taste, Hadi is now hungry for more and is happy to go back on loan if that’s how City see his next step.
“I don't really want to just celebrate this, I want to kick on and get on the pitch as many times as I can, keep as many clean sheets as I can and just play in front of that crowd as much as possible.
“Whether that's staying here or if the gaffer wants me to go on loan and get a bit more experience, that's something I want to do.
“But my main aim is to become a better goalkeeper, get myself on the pitch a lot more and ultimately work towards getting another contract next season.”
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