Scott Loach will not be returning to Valley Parade next season.

Stuart McCall had hoped to snap up the young goalkeeper for another loan spell from Watford after he impressed for the Bantams in the last campaign.

But the Hornets want to hang on to the 19-year-old who was attracting attention from Premier League clubs.

Talking to the Telegraph & Argus the City boss said: "We would definitely have liked to have kept Scott and it might have been different had Watford gone up.

"He did very well for us and it was a deal which worked both for us and Watford."

Loach played 20 games for City after joining at the end of January and ended up winning the T&A award for being the most consistent player.

Bringing in a young keeper on loan from a higher division paid off for Wycombe and Stockport, who made the play-offs with Frank Fielding (from Blackburn) and John Ruddy (from Everton) respectively.

Now McCall must decide whether to go down that route again or choose a more experienced successor.

He said: "If you go for a third-choice keeper from a Premier League or Championship club, you have to be sure he has the right temperament to be able to play in front of maybe 15,000 fans, which Scott could.

"If you go for someone with more experience, he is more likely to be able to cope with a big-match atmosphere but he would also cost more money.

"It is a balancing act."