Bradford City midfielder Adam Clayton on his debt to Carlisle United - as he prepares for another border city battle

When the Bradford City midfielder heads back down the M6 motorway on Saturday evening following his re-acquaintance with Carlisle United's home, he wants to be wearing that same expression.

This time he will be travelling in comfort on a spacious coach, as opposed to a cramped sports car with several passengers.

On his loan stint at the start of his career at Carlisle - who host the Bantams in their League Two semi-final second-leg this weekend - Manchester-born Clayton recalls: "It was a good eye-opener.

"I used to take the centre halves down in a car school - in a (Audi) TT. You put two six foot three centre halves in the back of that!

“Greg (Abbott - then Carlisle manager and ex-Bradford player) wasn’t very happy about that because they were stiff as a board when we got there!

“It was a really good experience and a first taste of having to pay your mortgage and bills by winning games. With how serious it is, nobody cares who you are, what you’ve done or why you’re there.

“If the ball’s there to be won, someone has to go and win it.

“I saw Greg the other night and we had a bit of banter about the game. He’s a top character, one of the best in football.

“We had a good team - Richard Keogh played in that side and Scott Dobie was a very good striker. We got to the Johnstone’s Paint final and played at Wembley.

“Hopefully we won’t let that happen again for them!"

After savouring those battles in the border city back in 2009-10, Clayton will be pitted into another this weekend for the right to play in the League Two showpiece at Wembley on May 28.

No quarter will be given. City's sound away form - no side conceded fewer league goals on their travels in the regular season - suggested they possess the backbone to defend a 1-0 first-leg advantage and see the job through. But it will be tough and unforgiving.

Clayton added: “Because we play some nice football - I think we were fourth in the possession stats - it gets overlooked how much we can scrap and fight.

“You saw that when we went to Stevenage. There was very little football played, but we beat the fighters in the division at their own game that day.

“Stubbsy (Sam Stubbs), Platty (Matty Platt), Rom (Romoney Crichlow) at the back gave very little away in the air and in tackles.

“Saturday is going to be one of those days. We’re going to have to batten down the hatches and really scrap.

“I think Stubbsy and (Joe) Garner met each other’s elbows more times than they did on the ball!”

It does get overlooked how capable we are at fighting and scrapping. Cooky (Andy Cook) will give as good as anyone up front.

“Jamie (Walker) will go into tackles, he’s our number 10 who gets on the ball but he doesn’t shirk anything.

“We’ve got a really good set of 'men', in my opinion, and it will definitely be needed.”