Former Lincoln City midfielder Sam Clucas has had his trial with League One side Bradford City extended.
The 35-year-old has been training with the Bantams after leaving Shrewsbury Town by mutual consent earlier this week. Bradford manager Graham Alexander has now confirmed that Clucas will remain with the club for a little longer as they continue to assess whether to offer him a contract.
Clucas initially spent a couple of days training with Bradford, although their match schedule meant Alexander and his staff did not have as much time as they would have liked to evaluate the Lincoln-born midfielder.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, Alexander explained that Bradford are keeping their options open as they look to strengthen their squad.
“He has trained with us for a couple of days. He’s a player everybody knows about. We’re just having a look at him.
“We’re not going to shut down any avenue in the recruitment market to try to find the right player. Sam has been training with us just for a couple of days and we’ll extend that for a little bit longer because, especially with a game, the training programme has been a little bit fragmented so we’ll see how he does.”
Clucas is available as a free agent after reaching an agreement with Shrewsbury to cancel the remaining year of his contract. He had been told that he was not part of manager Gavin Cowan’s plans and was one of four players made available for transfer during the summer.
The former Hull City and Swansea City midfielder had signed a two-year agreement with Shrewsbury after leaving Lincoln last summer. He made 40 appearances in all competitions during his only season at the Croud Meadow, scoring twice and finishing as the club’s leading assist provider.
He began each of Shrewsbury’s opening 30 league matches and also started Cowan’s first two fixtures after the managerial change. However, a hamstring injury suffered against Colchester United disrupted the closing months of his campaign, limiting him to only five further appearances.
Clucas had continued training with Shrewsbury during pre-season, although he was not involved in tactical meetings or sessions specifically preparing the team for forthcoming matches. His contract was eventually terminated by mutual consent, allowing him to search for another club outside the transfer window if necessary.
Two Spells With Lincoln City
Clucas has represented his hometown club during two separate periods. He initially joined the Imps after a successful trial in 2009, making his senior debut in the Football League Trophy before being released the following summer.
After rebuilding his career with Jerez Industrial, Hereford United, Mansfield Town and Chesterfield, he reached the Premier League with Hull City. Subsequent spells with Swansea, Stoke City, Rotherham United and Oldham Athletic followed before he returned to Sincil Bank in January 2025.
Clucas made eight league appearances during his second spell with City, scoring once in a 3-0 victory away at Mansfield Town. He was offered the chance to remain with the Imps in a player-coach capacity but opted to continue pursuing regular first-team football.
That decision took him to Shrewsbury, and Clucas is now attempting to earn another opportunity in League One with Bradford. His extended trial suggests Alexander wants a more detailed look before reaching a final decision on whether to add the experienced midfielder to his squad.
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