'I enjoyed every second' - Cheltenham Town star Jonathan Tomkinson speaks glowingly of Bradford City spell
Cheltenham Town defender Jonathan Tomkinson had discussed his loan spell at Bradford City
Cheltenham Town defender Jonathan Tomkinson has hailed his loan spell at Bradford City as an “amazing experience”.
The centre-back was borrowed by the Bantams in 2023 while under contract at Norwich City. He made 28 appearances for the club, finding his feet in the early stages of Graham Alexander’s reign.
A USA youth international during his Bradford spell, Tomkinson went on to have a loan stint at Ross County before being released by Norwich and snapped up by Cheltenham in 2025.
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Jonathan Tomkinson on Bradford City spell
He told Gloucestershire Live: “We had a real sense of camaraderie and doing anything we could to keep the ball out of our net. I learned a lot and grew as a person.
“Bradford fans are passionate about their team, supporting you through the highs and lows, but if things get a little too low, they will let you know and you’ll hear about it, which is only right.
“It was an amazing experience I hold close to my heart. I enjoyed every second.”
Learning under Mark Hughes andGraham Alexander
Tomkinson, now 26, is a regular fixture for Cheltenham in League Two and still has plenty of time to climb back up the footballing pyramid.
He gained valuable experience in West Yorkshire - and can still vividly some of the learning curves.
He said: “The team were struggling a bit so Mark Hughes leaned on experience, but he was a great guy, who provided guidance and I had no issues with him. But when Graham Alexander took over, I had my best period there.
“The first thing I did when he came in was have a conversation, telling him I felt I’d been hard done by and deserved more opportunities. I then had to say I was away for trials for the US Olympic team, so it was an interesting conversation! But he gave me a chance so I can only be grateful to him.
“He had this thing about players not wearing tracksuit bottoms in training, so I had to cut mine knee-high, which forced me to adjust quickly to the temperature difference from Texas – I am used to it now!”