Good hoping for Bradford extension

Australian defender Curtis Good admits it would break his heart if he missed out on Bradford City’s League Cup final at Wembley.

The teenager played a vital role in helping City overcome Aston Villa over their two-legged semi-final and is now desperate to finish the job against Swansea at Wembley on February 24.

But the former Melbourne Heart man, who is on loan at Valley Parade from Premier League side Newcastle United, isn’t certain to line up in the final as he is currently scheduled to return to the Magpies after this weekend’s fixture against Fleetwood.

Good, who has already had his loan spell extended once before, is now concentrating all his efforts on convincing Bradford boss Phil Parkinson and his parent club to allow him to stay for at least another month.

“I’m going to have to soften the gaffer up. It would be heartbreaking if I wasn’t allowed to stay and ended up watching it on the TV,” he told local Bradford newspaper Telegraph and Argus.

“I don’t know if I could do that. I would probably come and support the boys anyway.

“But hopefully we can sort something out. I’ve played both semi-finals, so maybe there’s some rule in the back of the book saying that I’ve got to still be here.”

The 19-year-old was lost for words when asked to describe his feelings after winning through to the final but was full of praise for his team-mates who have led Bradford to the most memorable cup run since their FA Cup win in 1911, a history he admits he was not aware of when he joined the club.

“It was hard to explain how I felt afterwards. It was probably relief at first when the whistle went because those four minutes when we had to hold on after the last goal felt like ages,” he said.

“But I’ve never been part of a team with so much desire to get a result. We wanted to rise to the occasion and there was such determination to get the job done.

“When I first came to Bradford I wasn’t sure how it would be. I’d not watched League Two before and I had no idea about the club.

“But I checked Wikipedia and read up on the history and really how big they are – and being here now, I realise what the support is like.”

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was in the stands to witness Bradford’s triumph at Villa Park, although admittedly in preparation for the Geordies encounter against Aston Villa on Tuesday.

However it was also an opportunity for Good to remind the manager why the club signed him on a six-year-deal last year, with the Australian admitting he was unaware of Pardew’s presence.

“I wasn’t aware the manager was there at the time, my dad told me afterwards, but it was a pretty special moment for him to watch,” Good said.

“Newcastle keep in contact and are always asking how I’m doing. I’m getting experience and I’m loving it here – for another month at least.”