Bradford City v Burnley: Bantams backed to rise to the League Cup 'occasion' again

And unlike in 2025-26, the Bantams have the benefit of a home draw, with a cut-price ticket offer set to swell the Valley Parade gate for the visit of rivals Burnley.

The Clarets were playing in the Premier League last season, and Alexander thinks the prestige will bring the best out of his side, who have won their first three matches of this campaign without conceding.

"I said about the draw I'd like a big team at home because we've played some really good fixtures, certainly last year in this cup," commented Alexander. "Blackburn, Stoke and Newcastle, all away.

"I'd have loved one of them to have been at home because I know the atmosphere we create at Valley Parade.

"We always sort of rise to that occasion. Our team always gets an extra bounce when we play in those sort of environments.

"It's another test for our players, young and old, to put themselves on a pitch against a team from a higher level and challenge themselves and see what they're about."

There is an added element for Alexander, who made over 150 league appearances for the Clarets between 2007 and 2011.

"I had an absolutely amazing time at Burnley," said the former defender.

"It was something I didn't expect when I joined because I was joining from one of the enemies (Preston North End). But they took me in and I had an amazing time."

That included reaching the semi-finals of the 2008-09 League Cup, where they lost 6-4 to Tottenham Hotspur thanks two goals in the last three minutes of extra time in the second leg.

"We beat Chelsea, Fulham, Arsenal and Tottenham in the second leg but we unfortunately lost in the last minute. It was a bit of a heartbreak.

"We got to the Carling Cup semi-final and won promotion to the Premier League as a Championship club. It was one of the best seasons of my life.

"I had such a good time on the pitch, but an even better one off it with the players and the way the support was. There's a lot of similarities I feel here.

"I said that to Skip (assistant manager Chris Lucketti) quite early on in our tenure here.

"I can see similarities between when we came here to when I joined Burnley.”

Bradford have had nearly a week to prepare for the game, having not played since winning at Sheffield Wednesday last Thursday, but it does mean pressure elsewhere, with a League One trip to Tom Cleverley's Plymouth Argyle at the weekend.

"Whenever there's a larger gap between one game, there tends to be a smaller gap on the other side of it," pointed out Alexander.

"You've got to play the games anyway so we don't make a big deal about how long we've got to prepare. We just make sure we're ready.

"We talk about it in pre-season, that games get changed all the time now because of the TV schedules. You have to be prepared.”