Why Graham Alexander says Brad Halliday's Bradford City departure best he has experienced

The Bantams cancelled the 30-year-old defender's contract to allow him to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal with Dundee.

Bradford's last three players of the season have left in the last two windows, with 2025 winner and then-captain Richie Smallwood released in the summer and 2024 winner Halliday and 2023's choice Andy Cook leaving in this window. Halliday was named in the PFA's League Two team for last season.

Cook and Halliday were in the final six months of their contract.

Although a lack of opportunities was behind Halliday's wish to move on – he started just five League One games this season after the arrival of right wing-back Josh Neufville – Alexander was full of praise for how the former Middlesbrough, York City and Doncaster Rovers defender conducted himself.

"Brad's found gametime hard to come by up to a certain point, apart from cup games in the early part of the season," said Alexander.

“He came to see me probably a week to 10 days before he got back in the team, just recently. We had a really good chat and he said, Look, I think I'll be leaving in January. I want to shake your hand when that happens, but I want the team to be flying and whatever I can do to help that along, I'm all in.’

“There was a bit of disruption around January upcoming with the group and he just wanted to make it clear to me that he was absolutely focused on this and whatever happened in the future would happen.

“He got in the team a week later and played really well. Josh got back in but I'd had a call from a couple of clubs about Brad and then his agent spoke to us as a club, expressing that he would like to speak to them (Dundee).

“That's when we moved along with Harrison (Ashby, who has joined on loan from Newcastle United).

"Brad rang me at home on Monday and said he wanted to come in and see me personally on Tuesday morning and explain what was going on. He wanted to say bye to everyone personally and give everyone a hug.

“What a guy! He's gone on to a two-and-a-half-year deal at another club and this is what the game is. When you contract someone out who's an experienced player, you've got a family, you've got a career to protect.

“I've been in that situation several times in my 30s and I always try to balance out the needs of the club with the needs of the player.

"“It was done in the best way possible, probably the best (way of a) player leaving I've ever experienced in 12 or 13 years and I'm going to miss him.

“It's sad to see him go because he's a great lad, but he's more than repaid the faith that the club showed in him when they took him. After a bad injury, he's just banged out the games because of what he is.”

Cook joined Grimsby Town on loan after a difficult 2025. He ruptured his cruciate knee ligament's on New Year's Day last year, and has not started a league game or scored a league goal since.

“I think everything comes to an end at some point," commented Alexander.

“From a professional position, for me only, it was an easy decision because of all the factors and the facts and my ideas of progressing and going forward.

“From an emotional point of view and what he means to the club and the support, that's when it became really difficult.

“But I believe in making decisions, not easy decisions but the right ones. That's what I get paid to do, but it's what my life's been.

“I made those tough decisions on my own career. When I've left a club, as club captain, walking out the door, crying my eyes out, but I made the decision because I knew professionally it was the right thing to do.

“I had to go back to what my beliefs are about professional sport, the responsibility I have that's entrusted in me to make the best decision for the future of Bradford City. That's when it became clear.

“I didn't say, ‘You have to leave the club’. I explained what the picture would look like for the next four or five months, like I did with Brad and other players in the past and it’s up to you what you want to do with it.

“Ultimately, everyone can sit on their contracts, but Cooky is a footballer and he's always been the main guy or a main guy. I know when that ceases to be the case, that you lose something with that player.

“When you're used to playing regular football, week in, week out, and then not be that person, it's a difficult scenario to manage.

“I think it was the right thing all round. But, of course, I'm aware of what Andy Cook has done for this club in the last five years."

Midfielder Alex Pattison has joined Walsall for an undisclosed fee, and Bradford have cancelled Tom McIntyre's loan from Portsmouth.

Louie Sibley and Newcastle United youngsters Ashby and Joe White have come in their place.

Alexander expected "one or two" more departures before the February 2 deadline, and for replacements to come in.