Bradford City v Luton Town: Bobby Pointon's 'wow' moment in facing idol Nakhi Wells and a special two-year journey

The Low Moor lad lines up against his boyhood hero in Nakhi Wells, whose medley of magic moments in the claret-and-amber just over a decade or so ago inspired him so much.

Mention of Wells to Pointon in the build-up to Saturday’s meeting with Luton drew an instant smile from the 21-year-old, whose eyes lit up.

Momentarily, he was transported back to being that Bantams-supporting kid who idolised the Bermudian from the stands. One who copied his walk and wore the same football boots.

Pointon said: "It was everything, boots, walk, celebrations.. Everything.

"He followed me on Instagram last season which I was buzzing about. Hopefully, I can have a little word with him on Saturday after the game.

"I have never actually met him. Even as a kid; I never got to actually get a photo like him or anything. I never got hold of him.

"I can’t wait, to be honest. It doesn’t (feel surreal) at the minute, but I think as soon as I am in the tunnel and see him, I will be thinking: ‘wow.’ I just can’t wait to share a picture of him, to be honest."

While Pointon may feel a bit star-struck, don’t expect it to last.

As much as Pointon has revered Wells, he loves Bradford City more and has a job to do. Namely ensuring Wells has a disappointing return to Valley Parade, from a professional perspective.

The forward’s depth of feeling for his hometown club is matched by his competitiveness and ambition.

His own Bantams story is a wholesome one and a significant moment arrived almost two years to the day. Pointon and City have come a long way since August 19, 2023.

On that day, a painful episode in the club’s six-year penance in League Two - truth be told, they were a few - saw City crash 3-0 at Derek Adams’ Morecambe.

Fast forward to now and Bradford are back in League One and spying the sunlit uplands of the Championship again, while Morecambe's very existence is in peril.

While that late summer day was a grim one for the visitors, it had a silver lining for Pointon, who did the hard yards in non-league with Brighouse Town, Liversedge and Farsley Celtic before his chance with the seniors.

The Bradfordian, who recently signed a contract extension, recalled: "I didn’t really expect to come on, to be honest. I don’t think I’d been on the bench much before that; I think once and I didn’t come on.

"I thought it would be similar, especially with the way the game was. I didn’t think he (Mark Hughes) would take that risk as we were playing so badly. But when he shouted me over, I was buzzing.

"All my family were there in the crowd and I haven’t changed. Even when I came on then, I was trying to be myself and brighten up the game."

Being himself is a big thing for Pointon.

A local boy made good, who lapped up those delicious promotion scenes at Valley Parade in early May and had a good few weeks’ celebrating, by his own admission, Pointon says there is no danger he will ever get too carried away.

His Bantams-supporting family will preclude him from doing that alongside his mates, who will be ready to bring him back down to the earth, should it ever be required.

Pointon, who netted in City’s opening-day home win against Wycombe, continued: "There’s no-one in my family who would let me do that.

"I’d get a slap on the head if I went overboard; the same with my mates.

"My mates give me stick 24/7, whether I have scored or not. I am always playing back to them and I like it and it keeps me humble.

"It’s only banter, but if they were giving me positives left, right and centre and my family were, I’d be above the clouds and I never want to be like that."

His time in non-league helped him out in that regard.

“It helped me a lot to be fair," Pointon acknowledged.

"It’s just the men’s contact and stuff like that and getting used to being in a changing room with men.

"A lot of players can shy away when you are young and going in to changing rooms like that.

"You have just got to go up and be yourself, just like you are in the youth team and not be scared to go and try things in training and stuff like that.

"You will get more respect for trying stuff and being yourself than not."