Jonathan Tomkinson’s loan spell at English fourth-tier side Bradford City began with frustration, but after fully jumping into the squad in December, the young defender has since become a regular contributor for the club.
Tomkinson is past the halfway point of his season-long loan spell from Norwich City, earning consistent minutes in Graham Alexander’s squad. The 21-year-old has made 10 of his 17 appearances to date in the current calendar year, helping the Bantams move only six points back of the final promotion playoff spot in League Two.
After playing only 95 minutes in the first three months of his loan spell, Tomkinson is brimming with confidence and Bradford City is certainly reaping the rewards of it.
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster this season for me,” Tomkinson told SBI. “I was at Norwich and after tearing some ligaments in my ankle, it basically killed my preseason. I had to rest and recover instead of being on the field preparing for the season. The opportunity came to come to Bradford which I feel has been the right decision for me to play regularly.”
“Call ups to the U.S. Under-23 team definitely helped me and it’s been smooth sailing ever since at Bradford,” Tomkinson added. “I’ve had a good run of games under the new manager and we have started to get some form after a tough January. We’re in a good place right now.”
Tomkinson made the move to England in 2019, joining Norwich City’s academy from Solar SC in his native Texas. In addition to 70 combined appearances between the Canaries’ Under-18 and Under-21 squads, Tomkinson made his senior debut for Norwich City in last season’s EFL Cup competition.
He’s been reduced to only three senior appearances for Norwich City, while also spending the second half of last season on loan at Stevenage. Tomkinson’s long-term future with the Canaries remains unknown as he is in the final months of his contract, but for now he’s focused on the current campaign with Bradford City.
“I think both of my loans have shaped me well and it taught me a lot of lessons that I’ve brought along with me,” Tomkinson said. “The biggest thing that I’ve had to do is be patient and focus on myself. I think that has helped me so far this season and I am happy to have a few good months here so far.”
“Being able to play in the lower leagues has helped because it is definitely different than playing academy matches,” he added. “Norwich wanted me to come here and to get these experiences and I think it makes me more of a well-rounded defender. There have been tough moments, but I am enjoying the challenge.”
Unlike many American players who might be alone in Europe, Tomkinson has been fortunate to have a fellow American with him at Norwich. Josh Sargent has enjoyed a stellar run of form for the Canaries, scoring in four-consecutive matches to date and totaling 10 goals overall this campaign.
The duo might be 180 miles away, playing in two very different divisions of the English Football League pyramid, but it hasn’t stopped Tomkinson from acknowledging Sargent’s short-term and long-term potential for Norwich City.
“Josh and me get along really well,” Tomkinson said. “I think at the start when the club was in the Premier League, he struggled a bit, but the whole team did and Josh can’t be blamed solely for that. During his time in the Championship, he’s been absolutely flying. He was doing well before his ankle injury and he’s gotten back to that form now.
“The sky is the limit for him right now,” he added. “I think it’s easy to forget how young he is too. As a friend and even as an outsider, I think he’s got a good shot in being an important striker for the national team and for the team as well.”
Tomkinson is not only trying to make an impact this year at club level, but also on the international level. The 6-feet-3 centerback made his debut for the U.S. Under-23 men’s national team last October and since has made three additional appearances in Marko Mitrovic’s squad.
He is one of several young players aiming to be part of the USMNT’s Olympic roster this summer with the Americans set for involvement in Paris, France. Tomkinson first will hope to be part of the March roster for a friendly vs. Thierry Henry’s France squad before using the final months of Bradford City’s season to boost himself into the final roster this July.
“It’s really exciting to think about,” Tomkinson said about the upcoming Olympic schedule for the USMNT. “It’s every player’s dream to represent their country at the highest stage and growing up watching the Olympics was always something I did. It’s been really nice to be part of the U-23 camps and I have a lot of good relationships with the guys in the squad.
“Being able to play France before the Olympics is a great test, it’s matches that we want to play to truly test ourselves as a team,” Tomkinson added. “Overall it’s an exciting time for us as a nation and us as a team between the Olympics, Copa America, and World Cup. I have a good relationship with Marko and his staff, but I just need to focus on my performances because that is what will determine if I am there this summer or not.”
Bradford City’s quest of reaching the EFL Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium came to a painful ending on Wednesday following a 1-0 semifinal loss to Wycombe Wanderers. However, the Bantams’ recent league form has moved them away from the bottom-four in the League Two table and boosted their hopes of potentially reaching the promotion playoffs.
Tomkinson has certainly helped in Bradford City’s turnaround this month, which has featured four-straight clean sheets in league action. With only 13 matches remaining, Tomkinson is confident in Bradford City’s abilities to continue climbing the table and his abilities in the squad.
“I’m always confident in my own ability,” Tomkinson said. “I think that’s the one person I can definitely rely on. It’s really been nice to earn consistent minutes and the. manager has definitely given me confidence in myself too since he’s come in. As a group, we are playing with pride and I think that pride will continue to be important for us as we go forward this season.”
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