Wind-up merchant Dean Windass has received a vote of thanks from Jim Jefferies - for providing the Bradford boss with his team talk.

Windass' comments the day he left Bradford to join Middlesbrough in March not only raised a smile with Jefferies, but have also provided the Scot with the ammunition to fire up his side ahead of tomorrow's game at Valley Parade.

Windass returns to Bradford for the first time since his switch to Boro two months ago, the striker just one of many to have left the Bantams recently as Jefferies prepared for life in the First Division by slashing the wage bill.

Initially, the £1million deal needed to be renegotiated as £400,000 related to Boro staying in the Premiership - a clause frowned upon given the two clubs were still battling against relegation at the time.

Bradford are now down, a 2-1 defeat at Everton last Saturday sealing their fate, but Terry Venables' side are still battling to beat the drop.

That is despite Windass' claim at the time about joining a much bigger club with better players, putting down Bradford in the process.

"He has helped with the team talk, no doubt about that," said Jefferies. "Saying they have better players around will get us going.

"But that's Deano. In a nice way he is a character. He wound up people when he was here and he's wound up people now he's not.

"I'm sure he and Robbie Blake will enjoy a bit of verbal sparring during the game, but then that's the way he is.

"In fairness to him, he always gave 100% for Bradford City, and you can't fault that. He's certainly got a lot of quality.

"He's a goal threat from the middle of the park, which is what Middlesbrough were looking for, and is obviously what we're going to have to be wary of.

"He's chipped in with a couple of goals for them, and he's been unlucky on a few occasions in some of the games I've seen - but then he was the same here

"It would certainly be nice to put one over on him tomorrow and get him back for one or two of the comments he has come out with."

Jefferies is also warning Windass not to expect City to roll over and hand Boro their top-flight salvation on a plate as a victory will guarantee the Teesside club survival for another season.

"Any team which can go to Arsenal and win 3-0 and win at Leicester is strong away from home," added Jefferies, who has no fresh injury worries to contend with.

"But in the last seven or eight games we have been different opposition. Just ask Liverpool. I think they would say they felt flattered with their 2-0 win on Tuesday.

"I was delighted with the performance and the response from the supporters. They could easily have got up and walked out and thought that the end of the season had come a couple of weeks early if we hadn't performed.

"But if we play like that in the three games between now and the end you can't ask for any more - it might just be good enough to get a victory."