Andy Cook's two-goal comeback night with Bradford City was 'tailor-made' admits Graham Alexander

With City trailing 1-0 against 10 man Grimsby in their EFL Trophy opener, Alexander turned to Cook, who came on as a 65th-minute substitute in his comeback game after being out for just over eight months after suffering an ACL knee injury at Barrow on January 1.

Cook, in his first game for 244 games, levelled with a trademark header from Josh Neufville’s right-wing cross just 11 minutes after coming on.

There was time for an encore with the 34-year-old striker producing another classic centre-forward’s header to win it in the fifth minute of stoppage time from Alex Pattison’s centre.

Alexander said: "We pencilled in 20 minutes. But on 62, I turned to (physio) Bobby (Scarborough) and said, ‘can we extend that to 25 if possible.

"He was fully behind that and I’m sure Cooky was. I know he was chomping at the bit – he would have gone on after five minutes but we have to be careful.

"It was tailor-made for him, we had loads of possession, we were a goal down, we were getting crosses in the box. Then there’s the main guy who’s unbelievable in those situations.

"I’ve seen the goals back and the headers are out of Cooky’s textbook.”

"He’ll be stiff and sore in the morning. It’s a stimulus he hasn’t really had.

“We’ll manage him over the next few days.

“He’s been training with us for two-and-a-half to three weeks and involved in all the sessions and obviously the finishing at the end.

"I said to him about 10 days ago that if I was a manager on my first day, I wouldn’t have believed he’d been out for eight months. He looks sharp and lean but the endurance and resilience to go full games isn’t there yet.

“It was some intro after a long time out.

“The support he’s had from the medical staff has been phenomenal. It’s kept him in great shape."

After scoring, Cook right straight to head physio Joe Gannon in the home dug-out and the pair embraced each other.

Alexander added: “It’s good for the medical lads to get a light shown on them because their work is superb. The players trust them implicitly.

“That’s when all those hours they spend with those guys, trying to keep the player’s spirits high and dealing with his moans and groans, it’s for moments like that.

"Here at Valley Parade, 1-0 down with 20 minutes to go, it was set for him.

"I think Cooky might have been talking himself into something like that happening but not really believing it.

“He’s had his picture taken in the changing room with the guys. They’ve all given him a round of applause and it’s good to have him back.”