Nottingham Forest v Bradford City: Young defender Finn Cousin-Dawson handed the chance to impress in cup

Bradford City’s new arrivals – nine of them in total with none being under 25 – all have one common denominator and possess good miles on the clock in lower-division terms.

One player who will stride out for the club at one of the most historic stadiums in the country tonight has considerably less experience in the shape of Finn Cousin-Dawson, with Adams revealing that the teenager will replace the injured Oscar Threlkeld at full-back this evening.

The Bantams chief will find out a bit more about him after tonight’s tie at the City Ground, with the onus on any young players who are offered first-team opportunities clearly being to grasp them with both hands.

Adams said: “We’ve got 24 players at the moment and cannot carry many more because the club have this ethos that they want to promote their youth players. We have to do it in the right circumstances.

“Finn is going to play at right back and it’s an opportunity. It is good exposure.

“There’s no point in having young players in the first-team squad and we have an injury in their position, if they are not going to get a game.

“As Ryan (Sparks) has alluded to in the past, this is the ethos that they want. They want to try and sell players for profit to help the first team in future years.

“The issue we’ve got at Bradford City promoting young players into the first team is that they’ve got to be good enough. We don’t have the time to develop them in the first team if they’re not good enough right away.

“We’re not an Exeter, so to speak, who throw young players in (and) don’t really want to get promoted; they want to stay in that division but the ethos is sell players on and generate enough money.

“Would the Bradford City fans be happy with that? I don’t think so.

Cousin-Dawson should at least be secure in the knowledge that he will be able to lean upon some seniority in terms of defensive experience, which is likely to be alongside him this evening.

Old heads in the shape of three players aged thirty or above in Liam Ridehalgh, Niall Canavan and keeper Richard O’Donnell formed part of a backline who secured a solid clean sheet in their first game together as key in the Bantams’ defensive unit at Exeter on Saturday - and it was an encouraging sign in that regard.

Back in the early days of his career across West Yorkshire at Huddersfield Town, Ridehalgh, 30, recalls having a thirst for knowledge as a young player coming through, just as Cousin-Dawson is now.

Almost a decade ago, Ridehalgh was fortunate enough to have a terrific role model to follow in the shape of former Town captain Peter Clarke, who is still playing today at a grand old age.

Ridehalgh later played alongside Clarke at previous club Tranmere and he is the first to acknowledge there is no substitute for experience.

He said: “I played with Peter Clarke last year and I made my debut next to him and he’s a true professional who is still playing at 40 or 41 and I have learnt a lot from him throughout my career.

“Niall has just become club captain and I think it will be 11 leaders out there every week. He’s got the armband but I think it will be 11 leaders each week. I believe I am a leader on the pitch and hopefully I can bring success to other players as well.”

As someone who grew up as a boyhood supporter of Aberdeen, who enjoyed some memorable moments during the tenure of Alex Ferguson in the late Seventies and the first half of the Eighties, Adams is quick to appreciate the historic significance of tonight’s visit to Nottingham.

The City Ground was the place where one of the true managerial greats in Brian Clough held court for many years back in the day and was the king of all he surveyed by the Trent.

Those glories under Clough may seem an increasingly distant memory for the Forest faithful, but the club remain one of the most famous names outside of the top-flight.

Adams commented: “They were European Cup winners twice and did really well under the Clough era.

“They are always a special club to go to.

“As a footballer you want to play against top clubs and Forest are one of them.”

“I think it is a nice venue to go to. It’s a beautiful stadium.

“But it is difficult as a manager because you are not on an even playing field. You want to try your best against the opposition.

“We are definitely the underdog on the 0night but surprises do happen in this competition.”

Last six games: Nottingham Forest LDDDLL; Bradford LLLDLD.

Referee: P Wright (Merseyside).

Last time: Nottingham Forest 3 Bradford 0, August 12, 2009; Carling Cup.