Boss Alexander agrees new three-year Bradford deal

Bradford City manager Graham Alexander has signed a new three-year contract to stay at the League One club.

He and assistant manager Chris Lucketti have deals that will run until the summer of 2028 at the University of Bradford Stadium.

Alexander is preparing for Bradford's first season in League One for six years after earning promotion in May.

The former Scotland international took over in November 2023 and guided the Bantams to a third-placed finish in League Two in his first full season.

"I am really happy. I have had a brilliant time here in the last 20 months," he told the club's website.

"The success on the pitch tells only half of the story of what we came here for and what we have achieved as a club."

Alexander has been in charge of Bradford for 91 games, with a win percentage of 49.5%.

Bradford missed out on the play-off positions by one point in 2024, but regrouped and came back stronger last season.

They enjoyed 10 successive home wins but the promotion race ended up going to the last day, when a stoppage-time winner from Antoni Sarcevic at home to Fleetwood Town secured promotion.

Now Alexander will hope to re-establish the club in the third tier after those six years in the league below.

"Everyone aspires to play in front of thousands of people and in big games, and we have that opportunity here every week," he said.

"You have to start placing the building blocks from day one; what happened at the end of the season was a culmination of a process."

'Alexander has restored winning mentality at club'

Analysis, Jamie Raynor, BBC Radio Leeds

Given the memorable achievement of promotion to League One last season, it should come as no real surprise that Graham Alexander and his assistant Chris Lucketti have been rewarded with new contracts.

Their influence at the football club has transformed the culture across the board, and instilled a winning mentality that has for many years felt lost at Valley Parade.

The fact both have received new three-year deals, as opposed to extensions of their existing contracts which were up next summer, suggests improved terms and a financial commitment by the board.

The timing of the announcement is also key, with just days until the new League One season. It ends any discussion or speculation surrounding the topic and allows everyone at the club to focus solely on the coming campaign.

Without question, the club is enjoying its most settled period on and off the field since the days of Phil Parkinson as manager.

It is the first time since November 2020 that the club has announced any form of new deal or contract extension for its manager, and that lasted only two weeks before then boss Stuart McCall was sacked. That in itself speaks volumes of the club's current trajectory.

Promotion has already written Alexander's name into Bradford City folklore. Yet his comments following today's announcement suggests an appetite for success that has not yet been fulfilled.

Such is the potential at Valley Parade, might the carrot of another Bradford City promotion be in his sights?