ROWAN Milnes is still pinching himself.

The 18-year-old, who has been handed a part-time Bulls contract, is coming to terms with training with players he was watching from the terraces earlier this year.

Former St Bede's pupil Milnes, who made his debut on Boxing Day against Halifax, said: "I only got called up to the first-team squad a month ago.

"Before I was with the under-19s but seeing Reiss (Butterworth) and Evan (Hodgson) play for the first team makes you want to play for the first team yourself.

"Hopefully now I can be an example for the current under-19s to follow in my footsteps."

Milnes, who forced a goal-line drop-out and generally tested the visitors' defence, did not know for certain that he was going to get on until the final quarter against Halifax.

He admitted: "I was just delighted to get out there. I was buzzing to get those last 20 minutes.

"In the past two years, I have been standing on those terraces myself, but to run out past the dugouts and hear people clapping and chanting has been amazing."

Milnes added: "I have been training with Lee Smith, Dane Chisholm and Joe Keyes and they have really helped me to come on in the last few weeks.

"Dane and Lee have been at the top of the game and even training with them is a dream come true.

"Mainly my attacking game has benefited and my aim is to be in the starting team every week.

"Even though it is a dream come true, I don't want it to stop here. I want to kick on."

Yet Milnes knows it is not just John Kear and his more experienced players who are responsible for his improvement.

The teenager said: "The real reason for moving from a scholarship with Wakefield Academy to Bradford was down to Leigh Beattie, Mark Dunning and John Bastian.

"As people and coaches, they are amazing and they have really brought me on over the past 12 months."