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He was a teenager on the books at Arsenal when Stephen Bradley nearly died in late 2003. “Within a minute of coming home, the door was getting kicked in. They put a gun to my head. One was saying: ‘Shoot him, shoot him.’ And the other stabbed me; three times. That’s all I remember.”
Not long before he was attacked in his own home for the sake of an expensive watch on his wrist, he had been training with Arsene Wenger’s first team. It was 2003-04, the season Arsenal won the Premier League without losing a game.
This week Bradley, 40, returns to the city where he moved as a 15-year-old, now as the manager of one of Ireland’s most historic clubs, Shamrock Rovers. On Thursday they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where Bradley first went on trial at the age of 10.
Playing for Dublin schoolboy clubs Jobstown Celtic, Maryland Boys and Lourdes Celtic, by his early teens clubs in Ireland, England and across Europe were aware of Bradley’s talents.
Among the most persistent suitors were Chelsea, the club Bradley supported as a boy, and where he had that first trial aged 10.
At 15, Bradley decided to join Arsenal, where former Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Brady headed the academy. Two years later he signed a pro-contract and was soon captain of an Arsenal reserve side that included David Bentley, Gael Clichy and Jeremie Aliadiere.
But Bradley never played a first-team game for Arsenal. Even younger midfielders Cesc Fabregas and his former housemate Sebastian Larsson moved ahead of him.
To be fair, I stopped working, took my foot right off the gas. In your head you’ve made it, you’re training with these boys, earning a lot of money, taking for granted the facilities, the coaches, the environment.
Football is ruthless, especially at that level. Straight away you could see how special Fabregas was. It’s too late then, at a club like Arsenal. You think you’re getting away with things, but you’re not.
Firmly established as Ireland’s strongest team, Rovers’ next challenge was Europe. They reached the 2022-23 Europa League group stage, but managed only two points from six games. Last season’s campaign ended early after a 6-0 aggregate play-off defeat by Hungary’s Ferencvaros.
This summer they beat Vikingur Reykjavik in the Champions League qualifiers, then fell to Sparta Prague. In the Europa League they eliminated Slovenians NK Celje 3-2, but lost against PAOK Salonika. That still meant qualification for the Conference League group stages.
We’ve been off for a month competitively, but the players’ mindset and attitude has been brilliant. Maybe I didn’t think we’d get 11 points by now, but our aim was to qualify for the knockout stages. We’ve gone and done that, which is fantastic.
Many Rovers players had mixed experiences in England. Midfielder Dylan Watts joined Rovers on a free transfer from Leicester City. Centre-back Daniel Cleary was at Liverpool as a teenager. Bradley has blended them in his squad with international signings, such as Estonian international midfielder Markus Poom — son of former Derby County, Sunderland and Arsenal goalkeeper Mart — and German ‘keeper Leon Pohls.
The star against Borac was 21-year-old striker Johnny Kenny, who scored two to make it five goals in five games in the Conference League, and 20 in 38 games this season. Kenny is on loan from Celtic, where he has struggled to make an impact since joining aged 18.
When Johnny came in here, he was in a really tough, dark place. I remember thinking: ‘I can see myself in him; he needs help as a person.’ Now you are seeing his ability. It was about getting him into an environment and a culture where he feels safe and happy.
Thursday’s game at Chelsea is a huge occasion for everyone at Rovers. Among their 3,000 supporters at Stamford Bridge will be many of the 400 whose personal contributions saved the club in 2005. A mixed ownership model now sees businessmen Ray Wilson and Dermot Desmond (also a Celtic shareholder) owning 25 per cent each.
Bradley wants to see ‘alignment’ between the fans’ representatives and wealthy shareholders, to ensure the club keeps investing in players and facilities. He does not hide his own personal future ambitions, while also remembering the debt he and his family owe Rovers and their supporters.
I owe these fans so much. We have to keep pushing and getting better every year, on and off the pitch. I’d like to manage at the highest level and really test myself. But Josh’s treatment is number one. After that, what will be will be.
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