.jpg) Bruce in 2025. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alex Stephen Bruce[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-09-28)28 September 1984 (age 41)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Norwich,[2] England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Salford City (first-team coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2001 | Manchester United | ||
| 2001–2004 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2005 | Blackburn Rovers | 0 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | →Oldham Athletic (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Birmingham City | 6 | (0) |
| 2005 | →Oldham Athletic (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2005 | →Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2005 | →Tranmere Rovers (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2006–2010 | Ipswich Town | 115 | (2) |
| 2010 | →Leicester City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Leeds United | 29 | (1) |
| 2011 | →Huddersfield Town (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2012–2017 | Hull City | 85 | (1) |
| 2017 | →Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2017 | Bury | 2 | (1) |
| 2017–2019 | Wigan Athletic | 6 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | Kilmarnock | 20 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Macclesfield | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 305 | (7) | |
| International career | |||
| 2006 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 2006 | Republic of Ireland B | 1 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Republic of Ireland | 2 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Northern Ireland | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2023–2024 | Macclesfield | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alex Stephen Bruce (born 28 September 1984) is a former professionalfootballer who is first-team coach atSalford City.
The son of the formerManchester United defenderSteve Bruce, he played as adefender ordefensive midfielder forOldham Athletic,Sheffield Wednesday,Tranmere Rovers,Ipswich Town,Leicester City,Leeds United,Huddersfield Town,Hull City,Wigan Athletic,Bury,Kilmarnock andMacclesfield.
Born and raised in England, Bruce has played twice for theNorthern Ireland national team, for which he declared himself available in 2011 and made his debut in 2013. He had previously made two appearances for theRepublic of Ireland in 2007–08, but was allowed to switch underFIFA eligibility rules as these had been infriendly matches.
Bruce was born inNorwich,Norfolk, but moved to theGreater Manchester area at the age of three when his father, centre-backSteve Bruce, was transferred fromNorwich City to Manchester United. He joined theManchester United Academy, but was released at age 16[3] and moved toBlackburn Rovers as a trainee. He signed his first professional contract there in 2002, and was part of their under-19 team that won theFA Premier Academy League in2002–03.[4] He made hisfirst-team debut on 26 December 2004 againstHartlepool United, while on three months'loan toLeague One clubOldham Athletic, and was part of the Oldham team that beatManchester City in theFA Cup on 8 January 2005.[5]
He signed on a free transfer forBirmingham City, where his father was manager, on 27 January 2005.[6][7]
After finishing another loan spell at Oldham and returning to his parent club, he joinedSheffield Wednesday again on loan until the season's end, and contributed to their promotion viathe play-offs.[5][8] Bruce's performances againstTranmere Rovers impressed that club's manager,Brian Little, who signed him on loan for the first half of the 2005–06 season,[9] but the loan was terminated early by mutual consent.[10][11]
Bruce made a fewPremier League appearances for Birmingham following his return, including coming on as a substitute againstLiverpool when Birmingham were getting heavily beaten.[12] The team were relegated to theChampionship, and it was felt that accusations ofnepotism were hindering his progress, so it was decided that, in the best interests of club, manager and player, Bruce should pursue his career away from his father's management.[13][14]
In the summer of 2006, he moved toIpswich Town on a free transfer, signing a three-year contract.[15] In early summer 2007 he was called up as an international player by theRepublic of Ireland,[16] and in November 2008, he was reportedly being watched by Italian clubFiorentina, having been recommended by Ireland managerGiovanni Trapattoni.[17] Bruce scored his first goal for Ipswich, away to his former club Birmingham City, on 24 October 2008.[18] He ended speculation he would leave the club by signing a new two-year contract in May 2009.[19][20] Bruce captained the side at the start of the2009–10 season, initially becauseGareth McAuley was absent through injury and loss of form, but managerRoy Keane confirmed in late August that Bruce would keep the captaincy even if McAuley returned to the team.[21] He fell out of favour with Keane, and lost his place in the starting 11.[22]
On 1 February 2010, Bruce joinedLeicester City on loan for the rest of the season;[23] he jumped at the opportunity "for a change and a new challenge."[24] He made his debut as a substitute during injury time in a 2–1 win overBlackpool atBloomfield Road on 7 February, playing for less than a minute.[25] Half an hour into his full debut, he suffered a hernia that required surgery,[26] and kept him out for several weeks. He recovered in time to play in the last three matches of the season, partneringJack Hobbs in central defence as Leicester lost theChampionship play-off semi-final toCardiff City on penalties.[27][28]
In July 2010, a transfer toSheffield United was discussed but not completed; press speculation suggested the clubs had failed to agree on how the £200,000 fee should be paid.[29] On 30 July, Bruce joined Championship clubLeeds United for an undisclosed fee. He signed a two-year deal with an option for a further year.[30] Bruce was an unused substitute in Leeds' first game of the season, and made his debut in the League Cup againstLincoln City on 10 August, coming into the starting 11 in place of captainRichard Naylor; Naylor took his place back for the next League match. Bruce made his second start in the next round of the League Cup, against his former club Leicester City.[31][32]
In his first League appearance, again replacing the rested Naylor, this time againstDoncaster Rovers on 17 September, Bruce helped Leeds keep a clean sheet.[33] He kept his place for the next game, against Sheffield United,[32] and scored his first Leeds goal in the next, a 6–4 home defeat againstPreston North End.[34] After Naylor came back into the side, Bruce moved to right back against his former club Ipswich Town, and was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a foul onAndros Townsend.[35][36] After a spell on the bench, Bruce returned to Leeds' starting line-up against Cardiff City. After cementing his place in the side in partnership withAndy O'Brien, Bruce picked up an injury againstQueens Park Rangers and had to be substituted early in the first half.[37] In January 2011, Bruce was part of the Leeds team that came close to eliminating Premier LeagueArsenal from the FA Cup. Leeds took the lead through aRobert Snodgrass penalty, butCesc Fàbregas equalised in the 90th minute, also via a penalty.[38] After Leeds conceded eight goals in the last three games in February,Leigh Bromby replaced Bruce in the defence,[39][40] and Bruce made no further appearances that season.[32]
The return to fitness ofPatrick Kisnorbo provided additional competition in defence.[41] Bruce scored in a pre-season victory againstMotherwell,[42] and played in a reserve-team friendly againstnon-league clubFarsley Celtic,[42] but missed the first few months of the season through injury, including damage to an ankle.[43]
On 24 November, he joinedLeague One clubHuddersfield Town on loan until 2 January 2012.[44] He made his debut in Town's 1–0 home defeat toAFC Bournemouth on 10 December, and played twice more before Leeds invoked a 24-hour recall clause after an injury toTom Lees.[45][46] He returned to Leeds' starting lineup for the first time in nearly a year for the 2–1 win againstBurnley on 2 January,[47] but that was his only appearance in January, and he was linked with a move toLos Angeles Galaxy.[48] No move took place, and Bruce made seven more appearances before being released by managerNeil Warnock when his contract expired at the end of the season.[49]
Bruce signed a two-year deal with Championship clubHull City, where his father was manager, on 30 July 2012.[50] He played 32 games and became an integral part of the team that earned promotion to thePremier League as Championship runners-up during the2012–13 season.[51] In his second season at the club, Bruce played 20 Premier League matches.[52]
On 17 May 2014 he started the2014 FA Cup final againstArsenal, but was on the losing side afterAaron Ramsey scored inextra time to give Arsenal a 3–2 victory.[53]
On 20 October 2015 he scored his first goal for Hull City with a 36th-minute header, after coming on for the injuredCurtis Davies in the 18th minute of a 3–0 win against his former club, Ipswich Town.[54]
On 31 January 2017, he moved on loan toWigan Athletic until the end of the season.[55]
In August 2017, Bruce joined League One clubBury on non-contract terms.[56] Just 15 minutes into his debut, on 13 August away to Wigan Athletic, he scored with a header to tie the scores at 1–1; he played 75 minutes, and his team lost 4–1.[57] Bruce left Bury on 30 August 2017 by mutual consent.[58]
The following day, he rejoined Wigan Athletic until the end of the season.[59] Bruce went on to make ten appearances for Wigan in all competitions, scoring his seventh career goal in a 3–1 victory againstRotherham United.[60]
Wigan entered into contract talks with him at the end of the 2017–18 season.[61]
On 30 January 2019, Bruce signed forKilmarnock until the end of the 2018–19 season after Wigan agreed to terminate his contract.[62] On 17 July 2019, he signed a new one-year contract with the club.[63] Bruce left Kilmarnock on 31 January 2020.[64]
On 23 November 2020, Bruce announced his retirement from football.[65]
On 12 August 2021 Bruce came out of retirement and registered as a player forMacclesfield,[66] his debut came on 17 August making a substitute appearance againstPrestwich Heys in theNorth West Counties Football League Premier Division.[67]
Qualifying through his paternal grandmother fromBangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, Bruce was eligible for international football for bothNorthern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in addition toEngland, where he was born and brought up. He was called up by theNorthern Ireland under-21s, but opted to play for the Republic instead,[68] and made his debut for theirunder-21 team againstSweden in February 2006.[69] He also representedRepublic of Ireland B againstScotland B in November 2006.[70]
On 23 May 2007 he made his full international debut in a friendly match for the Republic of Ireland againstEcuador played atGiants Stadium,New Jersey.[16] He captained the Republic of Ireland B team which playedNottingham Forest in a challenge match atDalymount Park on 9 October 2008.[71]
In July 2011, Bruce switched his international allegiance to Northern Ireland. This was possible underFIFA eligibility rules because Bruce's appearances for the Republic had been in friendly matches.[72] He was first called into the Northern Ireland squad in October 2012, for theWorld Cup qualifier againstPortugal, but injury forced his withdrawal.[73] He made his Northern Ireland debut againstMalta in a friendly on 6 February 2013,[74] becoming the only player to make senior appearances for bothFA of Ireland andIrish FA sides since aFIFA intervention to preventswitches between the two associations in 1950.
When his father was appointed manager ofEFL Championship clubWest Bromwich Albion in February 2022, Bruce came in as a member of his coaching staff.[75] Steve Bruce was sacked eight months later, and his staff left with him.[76]
On 30 October 2023, Bruce returned to former clubMacclesfield as manager.[77] On 21 February 2024, the club confirmed that Bruce had left his role as manager in order to take up a role with a club in the Football League.[78] Later that day, he was announced as first-team coach of League Two clubSalford City.[79]
When Bruce joined Leeds United, he was reunited with his childhood friend, goalkeeperKasper Schmeichel; their fathers,Steve Bruce andPeter Schmeichel, had played together at Manchester United between 1991 and 1996.[80]
In December 2010, Bruce was involved in a car crash during a snow storm, but managed to escape from the crash unharmed.[81]
Bruce married his partner Lucy in 2015.[82]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2004–05[5] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Oldham Athletic (loan) | 2004–05[5][7] | League One | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Birmingham City | 2004–05[5] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06[83] | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Oldham Athletic (loan) | 2004–05[5][7] | League One | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 2004–05[5][7] | League One | 6 | 0 | — | — | 3[d] | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Tranmere Rovers (loan) | 2005–06[83] | League One | 11 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| Ipswich Town | 2006–07[12] | Championship | 41 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 45 | 0 | |
| 2007–08[84] | Championship | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09[18] | Championship | 25 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 29 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10[27] | Championship | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | ||
| Total | 115 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 127 | 3 | |||
| Leicester City (loan) | 2009–10[27] | Championship | 3 | 0 | — | — | 2[d] | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Leeds United | 2010–11[32] | Championship | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | |
| 2011–12[45] | Championship | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| Huddersfield Town (loan) | 2011–12[45] | League One | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Hull City | 2012–13[85] | Championship | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 37 | 0 | |
| 2013–14[52] | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15[86] | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[87] | Championship | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2016–17[88] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 85 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 104 | 1 | ||
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2016–17[88] | Championship | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Bury | 2017–18[89] | League One | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| Wigan Athletic | 2017–18[89] | League One | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2018–19[90] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | ||
| Kilmarnock | 2018–19[90] | Scottish Premiership | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2019–20[91] | Scottish Premiership | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | |
| Total | 20 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| Macclesfield | 2021–22[92] | North West Counties League Premier Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[f] | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Career total | 305 | 7 | 29 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 364 | 9 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
| Northern Ireland | 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
Sheffield Wednesday
Hull City
Macclesfield
