of their final game with Liverpool, Wetherall headed home a Gunnar Halle free-kick. Bradford held on for a 1–0 win and with Wimbledon's defeat at Southampton, Bradford stayed up with a then-record low of 36 points. The goal directly resulted in Wetherall's former club Leeds United qualifying for the next season's Champions League. The 2000–01 season started early for Bradford after chairman Geoffrey Richmond decided to enter the Intertoto Cup. Wetherall did not play in the team's first game away at FK Atlantas, and after playing in the second leg and the two third-round games, he missed the semi-final with Zenit St Petersburg because of an ankle injury. Bradford subsequently lost both legs. Wetherall started the league season but after playing all 52 league games since joining Bradford without leaving the field, Wetherall limped off before half-time during a 2–0 defeat to their nearest rivals Derby County in November 2000. Days after new manager Jim Jefferies took over, Wetherall was ruled out until the following February following a groin operation. His first game back was on 24 February 2001 as Bradford lost 2–1 to West Ham United. His return to league action lasted just four games when, after scoring in a 2–2 draw with Newcastle United, he was ruled out for the rest of the season with a recurrence of the groin injury. Bradford lost their Premier League status a month later after losing 2–1 at Everton. Wetherall's start to the 2001–02 season was hampered by a groin injury and his first full game of the campaign came on 14 September 2001 when he scored in a 5–1 Division One victory over Gillingham, which put Bradford second in the table. A groin injury again kept Wetherall out of the side for nearly five months, during which time he was linked with moves back to the Premier League at either Southampton or Manchester City, but he opted to stay at Valley Parade. He returned from injury for a reserve game in March after four months out with just over two months of the season left. He returned to the side against Burnley in a game noted for Paul Gascoigne's debut for Burnley, and scored in his next game as Bradford eased any relegation worries by defeating Crewe Alexandra 2–0. He played in the club's final seven games and was named club captain for the following season after Stuart McCall left the