DREAM START IS WHAT I’D LOVE!
Bantams star too pumped to sleep
STRESS is a daily part of life – and there are plenty of nights where the day’s events permeate people’s heads while they lie in bed trying to get to sleep.
Worries often include financial problems or relationships, but for many people it’s work that keeps them awake in the early hours.
Bradford striker Charlie Wyke is currently in red-hot form and banging in goals for a club that’s enjoyed a flying start to the season.
But, when you speak to him on a weekday afternoon after he’s played the night before, it appears he suffers from the same restlessness as everyone else. It’s an indication of the level of pressure the Bantams hitman places on himself to perform consistently.
Staring
“I just woke up about an hour ago. I’m knackered,” says Wyke at around 2pm. “I can’t sleep after games. It takes me hours.
“I got back about half-12 and then got to sleep about halfpast-six I think. It’s pretty bad at the minute!
“I always watch telly for a bit then turn it off and try to go to sleep, but there’s absolutely no chance. You just lie in bed staring at the ceiling. It’s been that way for the past five or six years.
“Even if you’ve scored, you still lie there thinking, ‘what about that time I gave the ball away?’.
“You think about all the bad stuff that’s happened.
“You can’t switch off after the evening games because all the adrenaline’s still running. It’s a bit of a nightmare.”
The 24-year-old joined Stuart McCall’s Bantams on transfer deadline day in January, signing for £250,000 after impressing with 32 goals in 64 starts for Carlisle.
The Middlesbrough-born striker hit the ground running, scoring on his debut, a 2-2 draw with Gillingham, and went on to score seven times in 16 League One appearances.
He’s begun this campaign in much the same vein and, while enjoying his football, Wyke believes Bradford haven’t hit top form just yet.
“I was a bit frustrated at the start of the season because I got an injury after a week,” Wyke added.
“I missed five or six weeks but I’m back on track now. I’ve scored a few goals and, as a team, we’re playing well.
“We haven’t really reached our potential yet.
Enjoying
“We’ve played well in some games but last week we got beat by Bury 3-1 (Wyke notched his seventh of the season).
“I think we’ve still got to click as a team and then we’ll be really strong.
“I’ve just got to keep enjoying it at the moment. I’ve spoken to my agent and the chairman, and everyone’s happy.
“I haven’t set any specific goalscoring targets for the season, but I got 25 or 26 last year, so it’d be nice to beat that.
“Hopefully, at the end of the season, I can be up there in the charts.”
Bantams fans are also clearly enjoying their team’s strong start to the season.
Almost 3,000 of them descended on Bury last week, outnumbering the home supporters. Bradford have won four out of six on the road so far, and even though the game at Gigg Lane ended in defeat, Wyke clearly took note of the support.
“We had both ends of the stadium!” the striker added.
“We had a lot more fans than them, so it shows the level of support we get – it’s unbelievable.
“Normally, when you’re playing away, it’s just one little stand in the corner.”