Benito Carbone has opened up on helping out Bradford City financially as a player when he was there, when the Bantams were in dire financial straits.

Carbone is a real cult hero in various parts of Yorkshire, thanks to his performances for the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford City during his playing time in England.

One stand out moment from his time with Bradford, though, actually came off of the pitch with him helping them out financially when they were really struggling.

When they were in administration in 2002, the Italian waived a £3 million payment that he was owed by the club, and speaking to William Hill recently he has opened up on that decision, saying that he never thought about doing anything else.

Speaking to the bookmaker, he said:

“It wasn’t a difficult decision. It would have been like finishing your love with your wife or your girlfriend; if you stop loving, it will finish everything!

“I sacrificed the house and everything, but it wasn’t a difficult decision. For sure, me and my family were tired, but I didn’t want to do something wrong against the people who treated me well, like the fans, who were incredible with me. The club had given me a chance to take a lot of money, but I don’t want to do it.

“When the chairman called me to say ‘we are in trouble’, I said that I would talk with my agent, my agent will call you, and I won’t leave. I didn’t want a single pound; I left their money, and that’s what we did.

“I don’t know what the reaction was from the club, but I think they had a party on the night because I left really a lot of money, and I was happy! If I had the opportunity again, I would do the same thing, without a problem.”

The Verdict

A class act from Carbone and you wonder how many footballers would have done the same in his position - you'd like to think at least a fair amount would.

Bradford are still ticking along as as football club, now in League Two of course, and they'll be hoping that they can start climbing the leagues as soon as possible with them just outside the play-offs in the fourth tier right now.