Mark Bradley (footballer, born 1988)

Mark Simon Bradley (born 14 January 1988) is a Welsh international former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Walsall and Rotherham United. He is currently employed as the strength and conditioning coach at Walsall.

This article is about the Welsh international. For the Scottish footballer, see Mark Bradley (footballer, born 1976).

Mark Bradley
Bradley in 2013
Personal information
Full name Mark Simon Bradley
Date of birth (1988-01-14) 14 January 1988
Place of birth Wordsley, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position(s) Defender
Club information
Current team
 Walsall (coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2010 Walsall 95 (5)
2010–2015 Rotherham United 91 (4)
Total 156 (9)
National team
2007–2010 Wales U21 17 (1)
2010 Wales 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Walsall

Bradley made his Walsall and career debut on the final day of the 2004–05 season in the match at home to Stockport County.[1] He made a few appearances in the following two seasons before breaking into the first team in 2007–08. He scored his first career goal in Walsall's 3–2 victory at Doncaster Rovers on 2 October 2007[2] and his second came in Walsall's 4–0 victory at Huddersfield Town the next game.[3] His third came in Walsall's 2–0 victory at Northampton Town and set up a goal for Ishmel Demontagnac on 24 November 2007.[4] One day before the January transfer window, Bradley, along with Troy Deeney and Anthony Gerrard, signed a new contract, keeping them until 2010.[5] At the end of the season, Bradley was named the Saddlers' young player of the year.[6]

The following season, Bradley maintain his first team at Walsall. In the second half of the season, he scored against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 3–0 win on 17 March 2009[7] and four days later, he scored again in a 1–0 win over Leyton Orient.[8] The following season, Bradley once again maintain his first team at Walsall. Between the 2008–09 season and 2009–10 season, he made 28 appearances.

He was released by Walsall on 10 May 2010 along with six other players.[9]

Rotherham United

On 7 July 2010, he joined League Two side Rotherham United on a two-year contract after Ronnie Moore confirmed his interests signing him.[10][11] On the opening game of the season, he made his debut, coming on as a substitute, in a 2–1 win over Lincoln City. With eighteen appearance, Bradley struggled in the first team and was placed on the loan listed[12] However, the move never happened and made a few appearance later on. On the last game of the season, he provided an assist for Ryan Taylor in a 3–1 win over Torquay United.[13]

Shortly after, the club placed Bradley on the transfer list.[14] Manager Andy Scott explained his actions on selling Bradley, stating that he's keen to sell him in the summer.[15] Eventually, he made four appearance at the start of the season, before suffering dislocated shoulder during a match against Sheffield United in the Football League Trophy and expected to be out for four-months[16] and prior the surgery, he needs a surgery by using a knife to repair his shoulder injury[17] Despite the injury, Scott praised Bradley for his comeback, proving Scott wrong.[18] After appearing twice on the substitute bench being un-used, Bradley made his return from injury,[19] where he scored an own-goal in a 3–2 loss against Dagenham & Redbridge on 28 January 2012. After the match, manager Scott felt the club's defence cost them the match as the main reason.[20] His performance led Scott changing his mind about him, that he has a big future at Rotherham United and still has a big role at the club.[21] On 20 March 2012, he scored his first goal for the club in a 4–2 victory over Macclesfield Town. During the season, Bradley would play in three different roles – centre defence, midfield and right-back.[22]

At the start of the 2012–13 season, Bradley continued his first team role, under new manager Steve Evans, who started as Rotherham United manager in April succeeding Andy Scott, just one month left until the end of the season. In the first round of League Cup, Bradley missed the penalty in a shoot-out, allowing Hull City to go through to the next round after the match was played all the way to penalty shoot-out.[23] In the first round of FA Cup, Bradley scored in a 3–2 win over Stevenage[24] and scored again in the FA Cup in a second round replay win over Notts County after a draw earlier.[25] Bradley scored his first league goal of the season in a 3–2 loss against Wycombe Wanderers. Shortly after the end of the season, on 2 May 2013, Bradley was offered and accepted a new contract by Rotherham United.[26]

At the start of the 2013–14 season, Bradley found himself in the competitions with Richard Brindley over first-choice right-back and managed to dispatch until the arrival of James Tavernier. Bradley scored his first goal of the season, on 5 October 2013, with a header in the first half, in a 1–0 win over Brentford.[27] Bradley have praised his teammates for their good display in recent games.[28] Bradley then scored his second goal of the season on 11 March 2014, but then twisted his knee and was substituted, as Rotherham United beat Oldham Athletic.[29] After this, Manager Steven Evans remained optimistic that Bradley's injury wasn't serious.[30] However, it was announced that Bradley would be out of the 2013–14 season.[30] At the end of the 2013–14 season, in which Rotherham United were promoted to League, Bradley was offered a new contract for a new season.[31]

However, in the 2014–15 season Bradley made no single appearance for the club in all competitions throughout the season due to his failure to recover from injury. As a result, Manager Steve Evans was keen to loan out Bradley to get first team experience, but this never happened.[32] At the end of the 2014–15 season, Bradley was one of five players released, later retiring through injury.[33][34]

International career

Bradley has been a regular for the Wales National football Team at various youth levels. He was called into the senior national squad for the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein on 14 October 2009, in which Wales won 2–0, and Bradley was an unused substitute. Bradley made his debut for the Wales national football team on 23 May 2010 against Croatia at the Stadion Gradski.[35]

Coaching

After his retirement from playing, Bradley spent two years out of the professional game before rejoining Walsall as strength and conditioning coach in May 2017.[36]

Career statistics
As of 8 January 2016
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Walsall 2004–05 1000000010
2005–06 2000001030
2006–07 1000000010
2007–08 353500000403
2008–09 282100000292
2009–10 280000000280
Rotherham United 2010–11 210100021241
2011–12 211000010221
2012–13 271421010333
2013–14 222202020282
Total 1869152307121112

Honours

Rotherham United

gollark: Or just have them bridgemode it.
gollark: Then get your ISP to give you the config.
gollark: <@163793978964180992> sounds decent.
gollark: You can give them access to a network you create or something.
gollark: I wonder what you would see if you plugged the stacking HDMI cables into a TV. Probably not much, as there's no chance they're sending the data as actual video or whatever, but it might do something.

References
  1. "Walsall 3–0 Stockport". BBC Sport. 7 May 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  2. "Doncaster 2–3 Walsall". BBC Sport. 2 October 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  3. "Walsall 4–0 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 6 October 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  4. "Northampton 0–2 Walsall". BBC Sport. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  5. "Walsall youngsters sign new deals". BBC Sport. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  6. "Gerrard wins player of the season". BBC Sport. 1 May 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  7. "Walsall 3–0 Brighton". BBC Sport. 17 March 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  8. "Leyton Orient 0–1 Walsall". BBC Sport. 21 March 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  9. "Walsall release seven including Dwayne Mattis". BBC Sport. 10 May 2010.
  10. "Millers after in demand playmaker Bradley". The Star. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  11. "Millers seal Bradley deal". Rotherham United F.C. 7 July 2010. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  12. "Rotherham United make Mark Bradley available for loan". BBC Sport. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  13. "Rotherham 3 – 1 Torquay". BBC Sport. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  14. "Bradley and Pope available for transfer". Rotherham United Mad. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  15. "Scott doesn't want Bradley". Sky Sports. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  16. "Scott seeking short-term stoppers". Sky Sports. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  17. "Bradley set for shoulder surgery". Sky Sports. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  18. "Unlucky Bradley is praised by the boss". The Star. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  19. "Schofield welcomes return of key Millers duo". The Star. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  20. "Scott unhappy with defence". Sky Sports. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  21. "Scott has plans for Bradley". Sky Sports. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  22. "ROTHERHAM UNITED: Bradley makes versatile Mark!". The Star. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  23. "Hull 1–1 Rotherham". BBC Sport. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  24. "Rotherham 3 – 2 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 3 November 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  25. "Notts County 0 – 3 Rotherham United". BBC Sport. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  26. "Millers release three players". Sky Sports. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  27. "Brentford 0–1 Rotherham United". BBC Sport. 5 October 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  28. "Bradders praise for colleagues". Rotherham United. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  29. "Oldham Athletic 0–2 Rotherham United". BBC Sport. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  30. "Millers wait on Bradley news". Sky Sports. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  31. "Retained List Confirmed". Rotherham United. 28 May 2014. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  32. "Rotherham United: Plenty of options for Millers boss Steve Evans for Norwich City clash". The Star. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  33. Wathan, Chris (11 November 2016). "The sad story of the lost member of Wales' golden generation".
  34. "Millers announce player list". Rotherham United F.C. 5 May 2015. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  35. "Croatia 2–0 Wales". BBC Sport. 23 May 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  36. "Mark Bradley appointed Strength and Conditioning Coach".
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