City midfielder Nicky Law is hopeful that the Bantams can kick on following their Play-Off Final defeat on Saturday and come back even greater next season.
Law and his City team-mates were devastated at the end of their 2016/2017 campaign, as a late Millwall winner from Lions striker Steve Morison denied the Bantams a spot in the Championship.
After a tight and evenly-fought contest which could have gone either way, defeat was naturally very hard for the Bantams to take post-match.
But Law, who was Stuart McCall's first signing, believes the club can push on from stronger foundations than the Bantams boss inherited last June.
He said: "If you look at expectations at the start of the season, we might have been happy to stay in the division when we had eight players and two staff. That gives everybody an indication of the turmoil at the club last summer.
"There will be a better base to build from when we come back for the next pre-season, though. We'll have to follow Millwall now after their disappointment last season."
Law reckons the hurt they are currently experiencing will be a huge spur to go one better as the squad return to do it all over again when pre-season training begins on June 29.
He said: "The gaffer didn't say a lot afterwards. He just said we were unlucky and thanked us for our efforts all season.
"He let us gather our own thoughts and nobody really said a lot after the final whistle. Whatever the manager says after a result like that would not have made everybody feel great.
"We've just got to come back next season with this in our memory and, hopefully, be stronger for it.
"In a few days, we will probably be able to look back and be proud of the season and this game in terms of how we passed the ball.
"But it's just such a disappointment to finish the season like that."