Bradford City v Colchester United: Brandon Khela's pause for thought has done him good

Bradford City manager Graham Alexander is adamant the 20-year-old loanee is on track for a successful career. A bit of time in the sidings earlier this year should help, not hinder that.

With Alex Pattison still to return from an appendix operation, Khela looks set to start in the Bantams' midfield for the sixth game running on Saturday, at home to Colchester United in front of League Two’s biggest crowd of the season.

When a player steps down a division to go on loan, as Birmingham City's Khela has, it is to play games.

Cup-tied in the Football League Trophy, he played 17 minutes (plus stoppage time) out of a possible 810 in the league before a 60-minute substitute appearance opened the door to his first start.

"I was frustrated but I learned at Birmingham you've got to keep your head and wait, especially when the team's doing so well," says a rare Sikh role model in the British game.

"It's a hard environment to get your head around but the people here have helped me. I dealt with it pretty well."

He is starting to realise it might not have been such a bad thing.

"In hindsight probably yeah," he admits. "This loan's all about development and that was a test."

As Alexander puts it: “It was great that Brandon didn't come straight into the team and think, 'This is easy.’ He had to fight.

"Even though he was frustrated he was dead respectful that, 'That's Alex Pattison and Richie Smallwood in front of me and look how they're playing. I have to raise my level.'

"The No 1 lesson young players have to learn is competition. It's not a youth club where you pay your subs and you get a game.

"If you are entitled and think you should play every week, you are not going to have a successful career."

There is an art to being a good substitute too – an increasingly important one as benches get bigger.

"In the back of my head I'm thinking, 'I could come on here and make an impact,' or if we're winning I'm thinking about how we need to see the game out," says Khela. "I'm always fully concentrated even if I'm not playing. When called upon, you've got to perform well."

And when not, you still have to learn. In central midfield partner Smallwood he has a great teacher.

"He's been a really good character to learn from," says Khela. "When I wasn't playing I was watching him.

"He's put an arm around me, guided me. I'm really lucky to play alongside him. On and off the pitch we're always talking. On the pitch he's always telling me when to step up, what to do. I'm really grateful.

"I aspire to play as many games as he has. He's had a magnificent career and I'm just learning off him every single day."

If competing for promotion is a new one on Khela, he has already learnt a bit about pressure. Last season he played – and scored – in the play-off Ross County won to stay in the Scottish Premiership. Starting the season at League One Birmingham taught him about playing for a big club with a hungry fanbase trapped in the wrong division.

"At Ross County we were fighting relegation and now I'm at the other end of the table," he says. "This is what football's about – top end, winning, getting promoted. You want it for the fans, to see them cheering and give back to the club. To have 20,000 or 21,000 at the game on Saturday would be amazing."

Khela's maturity comes as no surprise to Alexander. It was a big part of why he signed him in January.

"We do our background checks and speak to people," he says. "We did meet him before he signed and I could see a determined, ambitious young player with real good talent.

"It was only one meeting so you can be disappointed but he's turned out to be everything we hoped he'd be as a person, as a player.

"It's how a player who's not played a considerable amount of league football responds to not being in the team, playing a supporting role, fighting to get into the team, then the pressure of a massive crowd.

"I think that's where he sees his future, playing in front of massive crowds in pressurised games.

"Undoubtedly he will have a successful career because of his personality and his character. He won't finish with any regrets because he practices right, he thinks about his game, he puts everything into every game, he's a great team-mate, he's so respectful to the players and staff. He's been brought up exceptionally.

"I've no doubt in five, 10 years' time he'll be at a really good level."

And maybe he will be grateful for his time as an unused substitute in League Two.