Exclusive:'Losing a leader' - Stephen Warnock labels Bradford City's loss of Max Power to Wigan Athletic as 'huge'
Stephen Warnock has weighed in on Max Power’s move from Bradford City to Wigan Athletic
Bradford City’s loss of captain Max Power to Wigan Athletic has been described as “huge” by ex-Bantams and Latics defender Stephen Warnock.
Power arrived in West Yorkshire during the last summer transfer window, returning to England after spells in Saudi Arabia and Denmark. He was later named as the new Bantams captain and played a pivotal role in the club’s run to the League One play-offs.
Few anticipated a summer exit but the 32-year-old departed in early June, joining fellow League One club Wigan for the third time in his career. He was then followed out of the door by his midfield partner Jenson Metcalfe, who was lured to the Championship by Millwall.
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Stephen Warnock on Bradford City’s ‘huge’ loss
Warnock told The Yorkshire Post via BetTOM: “I know Max better than I know Jenson, but Max's qualities as a captain, as a leader within the changing room, as a standard-setter, to lose that is huge.
“The only thing I'd say is the manager must have had people lined up, ready to accept that he's going to lose them, and say ‘we're okay losing them because what we're going to bring in is going to be better’.
“From Bradford's point of view, you're losing a leader and that's not easy to lose.”
Bradford have managed to get new midfielders on board, recruiting Callum Connolly, Henry Cartwright and Adam Phillips from Stockport County, Leicester City and Barnsley respectively.
Wigan Athletic appeal
Power moved closer to home with his move to Wigan and Warnock believes the pull of the Latics was too strong for his former teammate to resist.
The pair played together at Wigan during the second half of the 2015/16 campaign and for the duration of the followng season.
He said: “I think from Max's point of view, there's just too much of a pull towards Wigan and working with Gary Caldwell again, going back to the club where he's got such fond memories.
“Sometimes as well, there's just that feeling of ‘the club fits me and I fit the club’, and I think Max has got that with Wigan. I understand why he wanted to go back.
“I understand why Gary wanted him because again, Gary will be looking at Max going, ‘I know exactly what I'm getting when he walks through the door and he's going to set standards’.
“He's going to make sure that whenever people walk through the door at Wigan for a training session, for a game, that he's going to set the standards. So from Wigan's point of view, I think they've got a great deal in terms of getting Max through the door.”