 Bridge with theWestern Sydney Wanderers in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Robert Bridge[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1985-11-07)7 November 1985 (age 40) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sydney, New South Wales,Australia | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Camden Tigers | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 19 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| Parramatta Eagles | |||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Parramatta Power | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Newcastle Jets | 50 | (13) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | Sydney FC | 80 | (17) | ||||||||||||||
| 2009 | →Tianjin Teda (loan) | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 95 | (28) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Chiangrai United | 14 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 26 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Mounties Wanderers | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Australia U20 | 9 | (9) | ||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Australia U23 | 23 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Australia | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 September 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
Mark Robert Bridge (born 7 November 1985) is a retired Australian professionalfootball (soccer) player.
Bridge is theWestern Sydney Wanderers' first ever goalscorer, earning himself the nickname 'King Bridge' among fans. On 18 April 2015 in the 26th-round match againstAdelaide United, Bridge became the ninth player to reach 200A-League games.[3]
Bridge joined Newcastle fromParramatta Power in 2005 during the inauguralA-League season. Although it took some time for Bridge to find his feet he was the Jets best player during his second season (2006/07) at the club scoring 8 goals during the season.
Although his third season with the Jets only yielded four goals, his last for the Jets was the most decisive, being the only goal in the2008 A-League Grand Final.[4]
As his contract had expired at the Jets, Bridge subsequently left the team and was unveiled as aSydney FC player on 3 March 2008 alongsideSimon Colosimo andJohn Aloisi.[5] He scored his first goal for Sydney in their 5–2 demolition ofPerth Glory at theSydney Football Stadium.
On 11 February 2009, Bridge arrived Kunming, Yunnan province, China, meet with Tianjin TEDA. He signed a four-month loan deal forChinese Super League clubTianjin Teda during the offseason with Sydney FC.[6] However, Tianjin's failure to qualify from thegroup stage of theAFC Champions League meant that he had made the last appearance for the club and would return to Sydney FC at the end of May.
He became the first player to score in two A-League Grand finals with his headed goal against Melbourne Victory in the 09-10 edition, which Sydney went on to win on penalties
Bridge scored the third goal in the 3–2 victory ofChinese Super League clubShanghai Shenhua, during the2011 AFC Champions League keeping Sydney's chances of progressing through to the next round alive.[7]
Bridge was sent from the field after being given a red card in the opening game of the2011–12 A-League season againstMelbourne Victory, following an altercation in which Bridge struck Victory playerRodrigo Vargas in the throat. The match would finish 0–0.[8]
Bridge asked for and received a mutual termination of his Sydney FC contract on 1 June 2012.[9]
On 30 June 2012 it was officially announced he had joined the newly formedWestern Sydney Wanderers club.[10]
On 27 October 2012 Bridge scored the first ever A-League goal for the Western Sydney Wanderers, againstBrisbane Roar in the Wanderers fourth game of their inaugural season.
Bridge scored the Wanderers' first ever hat-trick in the round 16 6–1 thrashing ofAdelaide United in their inaugural season. Bridge was also the Wanderers' top goalscorer for the2012–13 A-League season with 11 goals. Bridge is also the club's all-time top goalscorer.
On 25 October 2014 Bridge was part of the Western Sydney Wanderers squad who defeated Al Hilal to win the Asian Champions League. Western Sydney Wanderers won the match 1–0 on aggregate to become the first Australian team to win the trophy. As champions, Wanderers also earned the right to represent the AFC at the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco, entering at the quarter-finals.
On 27 May 2016, after 4 seasons with theWestern Sydney Wanderers, Bridge left the club to joinThai Premier League clubChiangrai United.[11][12] On 6 July 2017, Bridge terminated his contract with Chiangrai United.[13]
In July 2017, Bridge returned toWestern Sydney Wanderers on a two-year contract.[14]
On 12 March 2019, Bridge signed forNational Premier Leagues NSW 2 sideMounties Wanderers FC.[15] Bridge is set to join the club at the conclusion of the2018–19 A-League season.
Mark Bridge, Retired from Semi-Professional NPL football in 2020, in 2021 he started playing local football in the Blacktown & District Soccer Football Association. In 2024 he signed with Camden Tigers and is currently playing in The Macarthur District Soccer Football Association.
Mark Bridge has played for the Australian U-20 Squad where he made 9 appearances and scored 9 goals. He is currently a member ofAustralia U-23 national team. He was also called up toAustralia senior squad for theirAsian Cup qualifiers, in a match againstKuwait on 16 August. He was hoping to be included in theAustralia senior squad for theAsian Cup games againstQatar, China andIraq, but was not selected.
Bridge made his senior international debut againstSingapore in a friendly match in March 2008.
Bridge was selected for the 2008 Australian Olympic squad.
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Parramatta Power | 2003–04 | National Soccer League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Newcastle Jets | 2005–06 | A-League | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07 | A-League | 24 | 8 | — | — | 6[a] | 1 | 30 | 9 | |||
| 2007–08 | A-League | 20 | 5 | — | — | 4[b] | 0 | 24 | 5 | |||
| Total | 50 | 13 | — | — | 10 | 1 | 60 | 14 | ||||
| Sydney FC | 2008–09 | A-League | 21 | 4 | — | — | — | 21 | 4 | |||
| 2009–10 | A-League | 23 | 9 | — | — | — | 23 | 9 | ||||
| 2010–11 | A-League | 18 | 1 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 23 | 2 | |||
| 2011–12 | A-League | 18 | 3 | — | — | — | 18 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 80 | 17 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 85 | 18 | ||||
| Tianjin Teda (loan) | 2009 | Chinese Super League | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2012–13 | A-League | 27 | 11 | — | — | — | 27 | 11 | |||
| 2013–14 | A-League | 26 | 5 | — | 9 | 2 | — | 35 | 7 | |||
| 2014–15 | A-League | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1[c] | 0 | 24 | 5 | |
| 2015–16 | A-League | 24 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 9 | |||
| 2017–18 | A-League | 21 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 5 | |||
| Total | 116 | 32 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 136 | 37 | ||
| Career total | 248 | 62 | 6 | 1 | 23 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 288 | 69 | ||
Australia U20
Individual
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