A family affair for Bradford City form striker Tyler Smith with ex-Hull City and Sheffield United player coming of age

The Bradford City striker turned 25 on Monday and afforded himself a belated birthday present by way of a brace in the club’s serene progression into the last 16 of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy with a comprehensive 4-0 home victory over Liverpool Under-21s on Tuesday night.

The former Sheffield United and Hull City frontman, who spent a loan spell earlier in his career at Doncaster Rovers, has found the competition to his liking in 2023-24, netting six goals in his last three appearances, including a hat-trick against Manchester City U21s.

For the other footballer in the family, it’s been rather more frustrating of late. Smith’s younger sibling Kyron Gordon linked up with National League side AFC Fylde in the autumn on a short-term deal - following his release from hometown club Blades, where the brothers started out.

Injury has stymied the progress of the defender, 21, who made ten first-team appearances for United after progressing through their academy.

On the provincial football circuit, ups and downs are part of the ride. Smith can certainly vouch for that and the experiences of the pair’s respective journeys are shared - whether it be commiserating or celebrating each other’s moments.

Smith said: "I speak to him every single day - on the way home from training or after games. I will ring him and we are always talking on the phone and we see each other.

"He knows everything about me and vice-versa and in the family, likewise. We are all in it together, it's not just about me and my brother and my mum.

"It's everyone - grandads, uncles, cousins. We have a big family group chat and everything I have done gets put in there and everything my brother does as well.

"We are all on the same page, which is good. It's massive for the family, we are all big football supporters. Everyone is following our journey throughout.

"My uncles were decent back in the day and my dad played when he was younger and was at Sheffield Wednesday and came through the ranks. Me and my brother are following on."

After a stop-start spell in East Yorkshire with Hull, Smith is showing signs of coming of age in a footballing sense.

A goal rush has seen him notch eight goals in his last eight appearances in all competitions and he is making up for lost time after finishing last season at Oxford United after being loaned out by Hull.

As with the Blades, Smith could not find security of tenure at first-team level with the Tigers, but his time out east was rewarding all the same. Smith, joint top-scorer with nine goals for City this term with Andy Cook, continued: “Hull was good and everything about it was good. There was a lot of competition with a big squad.

"It was hard to get a decent run of games and it was always in out, in out. For any player, being in and out is hard to get your confidence up and form together. For me, I need the consistency of regular games. That's when the best comes out of me.

"But I cannot fault Hull. I had a good two years there. But you move on. Before I came to Bradford, I touched base with him (Liam Rosenior) and I can't fault him and the staff there either. Everyone was really good for me.”

Bradford are the ninth club in Smith’s career. Alongside representing four Yorkshire sides, he has also had spells at Oxford, Barrow, Bristol Rovers, Rochdale and Swindon.

Despite a nomadic career, his confidence in his ability to score goals has not diminished.

His recent exploits at City - playing alongside a traditional target man for the first time in Cook - has boosted that belief, which has been further fortified by previous successes in the lower leagues with Swindon and Barrow especially.

Smith continued: "I've been to places and scored goals and I will continue to do that. I will see where it takes me at the end of the season, and the team, as we know what we need to do - get promoted.

"I am not a kid any more. I have experience, have been around and know what the league is about and know what I need to do. I am not short of experience and know what it takes to get out of this league."

While Tuesday night proved another enriching one for Smith, it was also a notable evening for another Sheffielder in the shape of fellow forward Vadaine Oliver.

The experienced campaigner, being eased back into the first-team fray following knee surgery in the summer, netted his first competitive goal since New Year's Day, with his strike coming in his second successive substitute appearance.

It provided a further tick in the box for boss Graham Alexander, whose side have now won four matches in a row.

“These forwards are spurring each other on,” said Alaxander. "They are supporting each other."