Bruce: Alexander Stephen (Alex)

2010-Current (Player Details)

Central Defender/Right Back

Born: Norwich: 29-09-1984

Debut: Nil

5’ 11” 11st 6lb (2010)

The son of former Norwich City and Manchester United Central Defender Steve Bruce, Alex Bruce's early days reflected his father's career. Born in Norwich, his first football exposure was as a trainee at Old Trafford, but, as his father's career took him away from Manchester, he was released at the age of sixteen. He become a trainee at Blackburn Rovers and signed his first professional contract there in 2002, and was part of their Under-Nineteen team which won the F.A. Premier Academy League in 2002-03. He was just twenty when he was loaned to League One side, Oldham Athletic, to gain first team experience, on 24th December 2004. He remained there until 9th March 2005, making twelve League appearances, of which four were as a substitute, two starts in the F.A. Cup and another two in the Football League Trophy. But, part way through that loan spell, he had joined his father at St Andrews and signed with Birmingham City, on 27th January 2005. No sooner had he returned to St Andrews than he was loaned to another League One team, Sheffield Wednesday, who were battling for promotion. Apart from a period of suspension after being sent off at Huddersfield Town, he became a regular defender and played in both their Play-off Semi-Finals against Brentford and again in the final at the Millenium Stadium Cardiff, in which they beat Hartlepool United after extra-time to achieve promotion. He started five games in the League and also came on as a substitute once, as well as his three play-off appearances, as he stayed at Hillsborough from 11th March 2005 until the end of the season. The new season saw him on loan at Tranmere Rovers from 17th August 2005 for two months and he gained more first team game time with ten starts and one game from the bench in the League, together with one League Cup appearance as a substitute. On his return to Birmingham City he had to be content with Reserve football until he was given three F.A. Cup games in January 2006, and this enabled him to make his breakthrough into the first team, making eight further appearances before the end of March 2006. He had made six appearances in the League, with three coming from the bench and six in the F.A. Cup, including two from the bench, before he was signed by Ipswich Town on 4th August 2006. It was felt that his progress at St Andrews was being impeded by claims of nepotism and Jim Magilton was happy to give him his chance at Portman Road. He was given a free transfer and signed a three year contract to June 2009. He took his chance and soon became a regular, making over forty League appearances in his first season there. The following season saw a similar pattern, with a total of more than forty games and there was another thirty in the 2008-09 season. However, he fell out of favour with Manager Roy Keane in the second half of the following season and was loaned to high-flying CCCL side Leicester City from 1st February until the end of the season. He played three times in the League, including one from the bench, and also both Semi-Finals of the CCCL play-offs, which saw the Foxes eliminated on penalties after the scores were tied, after extra-time, at the end of the two legs. There was close season interest from Leicester City and it appeared that he was on the verge of signing for Sheffield United, but after scoring twice in one hundred and fifteen League appearances, of which three were from the bench, and once in five starts and one game as a substitute, as well as six starts in the League Cup at Portman Road, he signed for Leeds United despite having a year still left to run on his contract. He signed for Leeds on a two year contract, with an option of a third, for a fee of £200,000 which, depending on appearances, could rise to £300,000. Simon Grayson believed that he would bring added cover in defence where he would play at Right-Back or Central Defence, with possibilities as a holding midfielder. Bruce started the 2010-11 season as an unused substitute in the opening game against Derby County on 7th August 2010, but replaced captain Richard Naylor in Central Defence for his Leeds United debut in the Carling Cup tie against Lincoln City on 10th August 2010. He did not play again until the next Carling Cup tie against Leicester City on 24th August 2010. It was not until 17th September 2010 that Bruce made his League debut for Leeds in the game at Doncaster Rovers, replacing the out of form captain Richard Naylor. He put in an impressive performance and helping Leeds keep a clean sheet. Bruce kept his place in the side for the following game against Sheffield United and maintained it until Naylor was restored on 2nd October 2010 against Ipswich Town. Bruce switched to right back, as Manager Simon Grayson rang the changes after a woeful defensive display in a 4-6 home defeat by relegation contenders Preston North End on the previous Tuesday night. It was in that game that Bruce had scored his first goal for Leeds on 28th September 2010. Bruce was sent off in the game against Ipswich. After serving his suspension, Bruce found himself on the bench for a while but returned to the starting line-up on 25th October 2010 in a 0-4 home defeat by Cardiff City. Despite the heavy reversal Bruce was able to cement his place alongside Andy O'Brien in Central Defence until he picked up an injury, when he was forced from the pitch after just eleven minutes in the 18th December clash with leaders Queens Park Rangers. He returned on 8th January 2011, and put in an imperious performance to help earn Leeds a 1–1 draw against Arsenal in the Third Round of the F.A. Cup at the Emirates. Leeds were 1–0 up after Robert Snodgrass scored a fifty-fourth minute penalty, only for Arsenal to equalise in injury time when Cesc Fabregas also scored from the spot. After the Leeds defence started o leak goals at an alarming rate Leigh Bromby returned to the starting eleven against Preston North End at Deepdale on 8th March 2011 and Bruce reverted to the bench for the rest of the season. During the pre-season fixtures for the 2011-12 season, Bruce dropped down the pecking order for Leeds with the return of Patrick Kisnorbo, from long term injury, and Tom Lees from a season long loan to Bury. Bruce scored in a pre-season 2-1 win at Motherwell. Hoever he was not named in the main final pre-season friendly at home to Newcastle and had to be satisfied to play with the "Reserve" team at Farsley Celtic. He was not in the squad for the season's opening fixture at Southampton and was an unused substitute in the Carling Cup tie against Bradford City. Bruce picked up an ankle injury and was out of the Leeds squad for the first few months of the campaign. He was allowed to go on loan to Huddersfield Town on 24th November 2011 until the end of the calendar year. During that time he played three League games. After an injury to Tom Lees, he returned to Elland Road and he was immediately an unused substitute at Oakwell on New Year's Eve and returned to the starting eleven in the home win over Burnley two days later. He was then five times an used substitute, but was recalled to the starting eleven by Neil Redfearn for his final game at home to Doncaster Rovers on 18th February 2012. He remained Neil Warnock's choice towards the end of the season and so it came as a surprise when he was told that his contract would not be renewed and that he had been released by the club. He has already been capped for the Republic of Ireland five times at Under-Twenty-One level, once for the "B" team and has two caps in full internationals, as he has an Irish Grandmother. In June 2011, Northern Ireland manager, Nigel Worthington confirmed he had held talks with Bruce regarding changing his international allegiance. In July 2011, Worthington confirmed that Bruce had changed allegiances and in future would play his international football for Northern Ireland.