Wayne Bridge
Encyclopedia
Wayne Michael Bridge is an English footballer who plays as a left back for Manchester City
.
A graduate of the Southampton Academy
where he made his debut in 1998, he has also played for Chelsea
and Fulham
during his Premiership career.
Although not a regular first choice player internationally, Bridge made 36 appearances for the England national team
, including representing England in the World Cup
. He brought his international career to a close on 25 February 2010, following an alleged affair between his ex-girlfriend and the England captain, John Terry
.
, but moved to Winchester
at an early age. He attended Oliver's Battery Primary and Kings' School
, Winchester. When playing for Olivers Battery
he was spotted by Micky Adams
, who recommended him to Southampton
, who signed him as a trainee in July 1996. He made his reserve team debut, as a centre-forward
against Portsmouth
on 13 August 1997 and turned professional in January 1998.
He made his first-team debut on 16 August 1998 (the opening day of the 1998–99 season) coming on as a replacement for John Beresford
, who had badly damaged his knee. Bridge made his first senior start in the next match on 22 August in a 5–0 defeat away to Charlton Athletic
. As Southampton struggled to pick up points (with only two points after the first nine games), Bridge played (on the left wing) in most of Saints' league games until early December before losing his place to Hassan Kachloul
. For the remainder of the 1998–99 Premier League season Bridge was only used occasionally, as Saints narrowly completed their "Great Escape" from relegation. He completed his first season as a first-team player with 15 starts and 8 substitute appearances.
The following season carried on in a similar vein with Bridge making occasional appearances on the left wing until injuries to Francis Benali
and the poor form of his intended replacement Patrick Colleter
gave Bridge the opportunity to play at left-back, where he soon became a fixture in the Saints starting line-up. In the 1999–00 season he made 15 starts (plus four substitute appearances) scoring his first senior goal, with a powerful free-kick over the wall, in the final match of the season on 14 May 2000 against Wimbledon
, as a result of which Wimbledon were relegated to Division 1 after 14 years in the top flight.
In the 2000–01 season Bridge was an ever-present at left-back as Saints finished their final season at The Dell in tenth place in the Premier League table. Bridge was rewarded by being voted the Southampton Player of the Year for the 2000–01 season.
Bridge was "fast, determined, skilful and full of youthful promise" and "his forward runs became an exciting sight at The Dell and then at St Mary's." He was an ever present yet again in the following season as Saints again finished their first season
at their new stadium
comfortably in mid-table.
His temperament and consistency, together with a high level of fitness, enabled him to continue to play every match until 18 January 2003 when he limped off with an injury in a 1–0 defeat to Liverpool
. This brought to an end a run of 113 consecutive appearances, a Premier League record for an outfield player (since surpassed by Frank Lampard Jnr
). His run started on 4 March 2000 since when Bridge had played 10,160 consecutive minutes of Premier League football, not missing a single minute's play through injury or suspension.
By now, bigger clubs were trailing Bridge, and he was finally tempted away to join Chelsea
for £
7 million in the 2003 close season. His last appearance for the club came in the 2003 FA Cup Final
defeat to Arsenal
. During his five years as a Saints first-team player, he made 174 appearances, with two league goals against Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers.
, and was initially a regular starter. His finest moment came in the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal in 2003–04. Bridge scored the winning goal in the 88th minute to send Chelsea into the semi-finals and end an 18 game winless run against Arsenal. The goal was later voted goal of the season. Bridge also scored against Besiktas and Portsmouth in the 2003–04 season.
For the 2005–06 season Chelsea signed Spanish left-back Asier del Horno
and Bridge faced a challenge to get back into the side when he recovered from the injury that kept him out of the team in the latter stages of the 2004–05 campaign.
Limited first team opportunities saw him join Fulham on loan on 19 January 2006. He made his debut in a 2–1 defeat to West Ham United
at Upton Park
. The move seemed to benefit him as he managed to secure his place in the 2006 World Cup
squad for the tournament in Germany.
Bridge's main competition for the Chelsea left back position then came from fellow England international left back Ashley Cole
. Bridge played the full match in Chelsea's 3–0 victory over Manchester City
on the opening day of the 2006–07 Premier League season, providing a telling cross for the third goal, scored by a header from Didier Drogba
. However, his strong early season form was not enough to hold down the left-back position, with Mourinho preferring Ashley Cole in most games. Following Ashley Cole's injury in the 3–0 Premier League win against Blackburn Rovers
early in 2007, Bridge became Chelsea's natural choice for left-back.
He featured in attack for an injury struck Chelsea side against League Two
side Wycombe Wanderers
in the 2007 semi-final 1st leg Carling Cup match, scoring one goal in the process.
Bridge finished the 2006–07 season with two cup final winner's medals after playing in both the League Cup Final against Arsenal
in a 2–1 win and in the FA Cup Final
against Manchester United
in a 1–0 victory.
Bridge played his third cup final for Chelsea in just over two years in the 2–1 loss in the 2008 League Cup Final
against Tottenham Hotspur
. Bridge was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area and Tottenham were awarded a penalty from which they scored, going on to win 2–1 after extra-time.
In the League Cup fourth round tie against Burnley
in the 2008–09 season, Bridge wore the captain's armband in the absence of John Terry
and Frank Lampard
, but the Blues lost on penalties.
that Manchester City
had agreed an undisclosed fee with Chelsea
for Bridge, thought to be around £10 million and, on the following day, Manchester City agreed personal terms with the player, who later passed his medical, thus enabling the transfer to be completed and he signed a four-and-a-half year deal. Bridge was unveiled to the home fans that day, at an FA Cup home tie against Nottingham Forest, and two weeks later made his debut for the club in a 1–0 win against Wigan Athletic
in the league. He was given the squad number 25. For the 2009–10 season, Bridge switched to the number 3, which was previously worn by Michael Ball
.
On 27 February 2010, Manchester City inflicted Chelsea's first home Premier League defeat of the season with a 4–2 victory. Prior to the match, Bridge was involved in a highly publicised incident in which he refused to shake hands with Chelsea captain and former club and international team-mate John Terry
, who allegedly had an affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel.
on loan until the end of the season. He made his West Ham debut on 15 January 2011 in a 3–0 loss to Arsenal
.
Bridge made eighteen appearances in all competitions for West Ham before his loan ended.
and Gray) predicted full international honours. He was soon making regular appearances for the England under-21 team
, and the managers' prophecy was realised when Sven-Göran Eriksson
gave him his first full cap against Netherlands
on 13 February 2002. He quickly proved himself, and appeared twice as a substitute in the 2002 World Cup, although he did not appear at all in Euro 2004, with Ashley Cole
being preferred.
During qualification for the 2006 World Cup
, he occupied England's problematic left midfield position, but lost this to his Chelsea team mate Joe Cole when he was injured. He returned to the England team for a friendly against Argentina
in November 2005, covering for the injured Cole at left back and winning his 21st cap.
He played in the Euro 2008 qualifier match against Estonia
on 6 June 2007, which England won 3–0, with Bridge assisting Joe Cole's goal with a long throw into the box.
Bridge's final appearance for England was against Brazil
on 14 November 2009.
On 25 February 2010, Bridge announced his permanent withdrawal from international duty following allegations regarding England captain John Terry
and Bridge's former girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel.
|1998–99||rowspan="5"|Southampton||rowspan="5"|Premier League||23||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||24||0
|-
|1999–00||18||1||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||22||1
|-
|2000–01||38||0||4||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||45||0
|-
|2001–02||38||0||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||42||0
|-
|2002–03||34||1||4||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||40||1
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="3"|Chelsea||rowspan="3"|Premier League||33||1||2||0||0||0||13||2||48||3
|-
|2004–05||15||0||2||0||4||0||4||0||25||0
|-
|2005–06||0||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0
|-
|2005–06||Fulham||Premier League||12||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||12||0
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="3"|Chelsea||rowspan="3"|Premier League||22||0||3||0||4||1||3||0||32||1
|-
|2007–08||11||0||3||0||5||0||3||0||22||0
|-
|2008–09||6||0||0||0||2||0||4||0||12||0
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="4"|Manchester City||rowspan="4"|Premier League||16||0||0||0||0||0||6||0||22||0
|-
|2009–10||23||0||2||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||28||0
|-
|2010–11
||3||0||0||0||0||0|||4||0|||7||0
|-
|2011–12
||0||0||0||0||0||0|||0||0|||0||0
|-
|2010–11
||West Ham United (loan)||Premier League||15||0||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||18||0
306||3||25||0||30||1||37||2||400||6
|}
|-
|2002||9||0
|-
|2003||6||0
|-
|2004||5||1
|-
|2005||1||0
|-
|2006||3||0
|-
|2007||3||0
|-
|2008||5||0
|-
|2009||4||0
|-
!Total||36||1
|}
Bridge's son Jaydon Jean Claude Bridge by then-girlfriend, French model Vanessa Perroncel, was born in November 2006 in Westminster
, London. Shortly thereafter he signed a new four-year contract with Chelsea, on 22 November 2006. In January 2010, a super injunction was imposed by a High Court judge
preventing the media reporting that Bridge's former team-mate John Terry
had allegedly had an affair with Perroncel shortly after she split from Bridge. The injunction was lifted a week later. On 25 March, Perroncel succeeded in a claim against Bridge for maintenance for their son with the High Court awarding her a payment of £6,000 per month until Jaydon's 18th birthday. The News of the World
printed an apology for the story on 3 October 2010 to Perroncel for invading her private life, and indicating that she has refuted the claims against herself and Terry.
Since December 2010, he has been dating singer, Frankie Sandford
.
Bridge regards Horrid Henry
and the Football Fiend by Francesca Simon
as his favourite book, and Das EFX
as his favourite band.
Chelsea
England
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
.
A graduate of the Southampton Academy
Southampton F.C. Academy
Southampton Football Club Academy or Saints Academy is the youth organisation run by Southampton Football Club to encourage and develop young footballers in the South of England...
where he made his debut in 1998, he has also played for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
during his Premiership career.
Although not a regular first choice player internationally, Bridge made 36 appearances for the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, including representing England in the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. He brought his international career to a close on 25 February 2010, following an alleged affair between his ex-girlfriend and the England captain, John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
.
Southampton
Bridge was born in SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, but moved to Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
at an early age. He attended Oliver's Battery Primary and Kings' School
Kings' School
Kings' School is a comprehensive school in Winchester, Hampshire. The last Ofsted inspection returned an overall outstanding classification, with 30 out of a possible 31 sections of the report being considered as outstanding. Kings' School currently has Specialist status as a Business and...
, Winchester. When playing for Olivers Battery
Olivers Battery
Olivers Battery is a civil parish in Hampshire, England, of some 700 households located just to the south of the City of Winchester. The parish was founded in 1956 on land that was formerly part of Compton parish...
he was spotted by Micky Adams
Micky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
, who recommended him to Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, who signed him as a trainee in July 1996. He made his reserve team debut, as a centre-forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
on 13 August 1997 and turned professional in January 1998.
He made his first-team debut on 16 August 1998 (the opening day of the 1998–99 season) coming on as a replacement for John Beresford
John Beresford (footballer)
John Beresford is a former English football player who played as a defender, who is currently a pundit for ITV Tyne Tees and ESPN.-Football career:...
, who had badly damaged his knee. Bridge made his first senior start in the next match on 22 August in a 5–0 defeat away to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. As Southampton struggled to pick up points (with only two points after the first nine games), Bridge played (on the left wing) in most of Saints' league games until early December before losing his place to Hassan Kachloul
Hassan Kachloul
Hassan Kachloul is a retired Moroccan footballer. He played for the Moroccan national team and was a squad member at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.-Career:...
. For the remainder of the 1998–99 Premier League season Bridge was only used occasionally, as Saints narrowly completed their "Great Escape" from relegation. He completed his first season as a first-team player with 15 starts and 8 substitute appearances.
The following season carried on in a similar vein with Bridge making occasional appearances on the left wing until injuries to Francis Benali
Francis Benali
Francis Vincent Benali is an English professional footballer and coach who spent most of his playing career at Southampton.-Schoolboy football:...
and the poor form of his intended replacement Patrick Colleter
Patrick Colleter
Patrick Colleter born Brest, France 6 November 1965 is a former professional football player who played a brief spell for Southampton in the English Premiership.-French career:Colleter begin his football career with his local team Brest...
gave Bridge the opportunity to play at left-back, where he soon became a fixture in the Saints starting line-up. In the 1999–00 season he made 15 starts (plus four substitute appearances) scoring his first senior goal, with a powerful free-kick over the wall, in the final match of the season on 14 May 2000 against Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, as a result of which Wimbledon were relegated to Division 1 after 14 years in the top flight.
In the 2000–01 season Bridge was an ever-present at left-back as Saints finished their final season at The Dell in tenth place in the Premier League table. Bridge was rewarded by being voted the Southampton Player of the Year for the 2000–01 season.
Bridge was "fast, determined, skilful and full of youthful promise" and "his forward runs became an exciting sight at The Dell and then at St Mary's." He was an ever present yet again in the following season as Saints again finished their first season
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
at their new stadium
St Mary's Stadium
St Mary's Stadium is the home of Southampton F.C., in the city of Southampton. It is a UEFA 4-star rated stadium and with a capacity of 32,689 is the largest football stadium in the south of England, outside of London.-History:...
comfortably in mid-table.
His temperament and consistency, together with a high level of fitness, enabled him to continue to play every match until 18 January 2003 when he limped off with an injury in a 1–0 defeat to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. This brought to an end a run of 113 consecutive appearances, a Premier League record for an outfield player (since surpassed by Frank Lampard Jnr
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
). His run started on 4 March 2000 since when Bridge had played 10,160 consecutive minutes of Premier League football, not missing a single minute's play through injury or suspension.
By now, bigger clubs were trailing Bridge, and he was finally tempted away to join Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
7 million in the 2003 close season. His last appearance for the club came in the 2003 FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final 2003
The 2003 FA Cup Final saw the holders Arsenal, beat Southampton. The match took place on Saturday, 17 May 2003 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and ended 1–0 with a 38th minute goal by Robert Pirès separating the sides....
defeat to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. During his five years as a Saints first-team player, he made 174 appearances, with two league goals against Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers.
Chelsea
After five years with the Saints, Bridge moved to Chelsea in July 2003 for a fee of £7 million plus Graeme Le SauxGraeme Le Saux
Graeme Pierre Le Saux is a retired English footballer of French ancestry who played for the Premier League clubs Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and Southampton, and for the England national football team. Primarily a left back, he was sometimes also played in midfield or on the left wing.After...
, and was initially a regular starter. His finest moment came in the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal in 2003–04. Bridge scored the winning goal in the 88th minute to send Chelsea into the semi-finals and end an 18 game winless run against Arsenal. The goal was later voted goal of the season. Bridge also scored against Besiktas and Portsmouth in the 2003–04 season.
For the 2005–06 season Chelsea signed Spanish left-back Asier del Horno
Asier del Horno
Asier del Horno Cosgaya is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Levante UD mainly as a left defender.-Athletic Bilbao:...
and Bridge faced a challenge to get back into the side when he recovered from the injury that kept him out of the team in the latter stages of the 2004–05 campaign.
Limited first team opportunities saw him join Fulham on loan on 19 January 2006. He made his debut in a 2–1 defeat to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
at Upton Park
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
. The move seemed to benefit him as he managed to secure his place in the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
squad for the tournament in Germany.
Bridge's main competition for the Chelsea left back position then came from fellow England international left back Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
. Bridge played the full match in Chelsea's 3–0 victory over Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on the opening day of the 2006–07 Premier League season, providing a telling cross for the third goal, scored by a header from Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
. However, his strong early season form was not enough to hold down the left-back position, with Mourinho preferring Ashley Cole in most games. Following Ashley Cole's injury in the 3–0 Premier League win against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
early in 2007, Bridge became Chelsea's natural choice for left-back.
He featured in attack for an injury struck Chelsea side against League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
in the 2007 semi-final 1st leg Carling Cup match, scoring one goal in the process.
Bridge finished the 2006–07 season with two cup final winner's medals after playing in both the League Cup Final against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in a 2–1 win and in the FA Cup Final
2007 FA Cup Final
The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in a 1–0 victory.
Bridge played his third cup final for Chelsea in just over two years in the 2–1 loss in the 2008 League Cup Final
2008 Football League Cup Final
The 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. It was the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, and the first to be played in England since the old Wembley was demolished in 2000. The defending champions were Chelsea, who beat Arsenal in the...
against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. Bridge was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area and Tottenham were awarded a penalty from which they scored, going on to win 2–1 after extra-time.
In the League Cup fourth round tie against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in the 2008–09 season, Bridge wore the captain's armband in the absence of John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
and Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
, but the Blues lost on penalties.
Manchester City
On 2 January 2009, it was confirmed by Mark HughesMark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
that Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
had agreed an undisclosed fee with Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
for Bridge, thought to be around £10 million and, on the following day, Manchester City agreed personal terms with the player, who later passed his medical, thus enabling the transfer to be completed and he signed a four-and-a-half year deal. Bridge was unveiled to the home fans that day, at an FA Cup home tie against Nottingham Forest, and two weeks later made his debut for the club in a 1–0 win against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
in the league. He was given the squad number 25. For the 2009–10 season, Bridge switched to the number 3, which was previously worn by Michael Ball
Michael Ball (footballer)
Michael John Ball is an English professional footballer who plays for Leicester City, having previously played as a left-back for English Premier League team Manchester City....
.
On 27 February 2010, Manchester City inflicted Chelsea's first home Premier League defeat of the season with a 4–2 victory. Prior to the match, Bridge was involved in a highly publicised incident in which he refused to shake hands with Chelsea captain and former club and international team-mate John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
, who allegedly had an affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel.
West Ham United
On 12 January 2011, Bridge joined West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
on loan until the end of the season. He made his West Ham debut on 15 January 2011 in a 3–0 loss to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
.
Bridge made eighteen appearances in all competitions for West Ham before his loan ended.
International career
During his time with Southampton, all Bridge's managers (Jones, HoddleGlenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
and Gray) predicted full international honours. He was soon making regular appearances for the England under-21 team
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
, and the managers' prophecy was realised when Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
gave him his first full cap against Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
on 13 February 2002. He quickly proved himself, and appeared twice as a substitute in the 2002 World Cup, although he did not appear at all in Euro 2004, with Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
being preferred.
During qualification for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, he occupied England's problematic left midfield position, but lost this to his Chelsea team mate Joe Cole when he was injured. He returned to the England team for a friendly against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in November 2005, covering for the injured Cole at left back and winning his 21st cap.
He played in the Euro 2008 qualifier match against Estonia
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
on 6 June 2007, which England won 3–0, with Bridge assisting Joe Cole's goal with a long throw into the box.
Bridge's final appearance for England was against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
on 14 November 2009.
On 25 February 2010, Bridge announced his permanent withdrawal from international duty following allegations regarding England captain John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
and Bridge's former girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel.
International goals
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 5 June 2004 Manchester ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England5–1 6–1 Friendly match Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
(2004 FA Summer Tournament2004 FA Summer TournamentThe FA Summer Tournament was a minor international football competition, which took place in England in summer 2004.Host nation England, Japan and Iceland participated in the tournament, and matches took place at the City of Manchester Stadium, home of English club Manchester City.This three-nation...
)
Statistics
|-|1998–99||rowspan="5"|Southampton||rowspan="5"|Premier League||23||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||24||0
|-
|1999–00||18||1||2||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||22||1
|-
|2000–01||38||0||4||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||45||0
|-
|2001–02||38||0||1||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||42||0
|-
|2002–03||34||1||4||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||40||1
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="3"|Chelsea||rowspan="3"|Premier League||33||1||2||0||0||0||13||2||48||3
|-
|2004–05||15||0||2||0||4||0||4||0||25||0
|-
|2005–06||0||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0
|-
|2005–06||Fulham||Premier League||12||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||12||0
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="3"|Chelsea||rowspan="3"|Premier League||22||0||3||0||4||1||3||0||32||1
|-
|2007–08||11||0||3||0||5||0||3||0||22||0
|-
|2008–09||6||0||0||0||2||0||4||0||12||0
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="4"|Manchester City||rowspan="4"|Premier League||16||0||0||0||0||0||6||0||22||0
|-
|2009–10||23||0||2||0||3||0||colspan="2"|-||28||0
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
||3||0||0||0||0||0|||4||0|||7||0
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Premier League
The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012...
||0||0||0||0||0||0|||0||0|||0||0
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Premier League
The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
||West Ham United (loan)||Premier League||15||0||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||18||0
306||3||25||0||30||1||37||2||400||6
|}
|-
|2002||9||0
|-
|2003||6||0
|-
|2004||5||1
|-
|2005||1||0
|-
|2006||3||0
|-
|2007||3||0
|-
|2008||5||0
|-
|2009||4||0
|-
!Total||36||1
|}
Personal life
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, London. Shortly thereafter he signed a new four-year contract with Chelsea, on 22 November 2006. In January 2010, a super injunction was imposed by a High Court judge
High Court judge
A High Court judge is a judge of the High Court of Justice, and represents the third highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales. High Court judges are referred to as puisne judges...
preventing the media reporting that Bridge's former team-mate John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
had allegedly had an affair with Perroncel shortly after she split from Bridge. The injunction was lifted a week later. On 25 March, Perroncel succeeded in a claim against Bridge for maintenance for their son with the High Court awarding her a payment of £6,000 per month until Jaydon's 18th birthday. The News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
printed an apology for the story on 3 October 2010 to Perroncel for invading her private life, and indicating that she has refuted the claims against herself and Terry.
Since December 2010, he has been dating singer, Frankie Sandford
Frankie Sandford
Francesca "Frankie" Sandford is an English pop and R&B singer-songwriter and currently a member of girl group The Saturdays; under the record label of Fascination Records and Polydor Records. The band have had huge success, releasing eleven singles of which ten have charted inside the top 10 on...
.
Bridge regards Horrid Henry
Horrid Henry
Horrid Henry is a fictional character created by Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross. The first Horrid Henry book was written and published in 1994 by Orion Books and as of the end of 2010, there have been nineteen titles published, as well as numerous collections, activity books and joke...
and the Football Fiend by Francesca Simon
Francesca Simon
Francesca Isabelle Simon is an American author living in London, who is mostly known for writing the popular Horrid Henry series of children's books.- Biography :...
as his favourite book, and Das EFX
Das EFX
Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray...
as his favourite band.
Honours
SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
runner-up 2003FA Cup Final 2003The 2003 FA Cup Final saw the holders Arsenal, beat Southampton. The match took place on Saturday, 17 May 2003 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and ended 1–0 with a 38th minute goal by Robert Pirès separating the sides....
Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
- FA Premier League 2004–05
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
2007 - League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
: 2006–072007 Football League Cup FinalThe 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday, 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested between Arsenal and Chelsea, making it the first all-London final in the competition's history; the two sides had previously met in Cardiff for the 2002 FA Cup Final. The game...
England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
- 2004 FA Summer Tournament2004 FA Summer TournamentThe FA Summer Tournament was a minor international football competition, which took place in England in summer 2004.Host nation England, Japan and Iceland participated in the tournament, and matches took place at the City of Manchester Stadium, home of English club Manchester City.This three-nation...