Phil Bardsley

At 38 years old, Phil Bardsley has this physical status:

Club career

Bardsley spent time in Manchester United's under-17 squad from 2000-2001 before progressing to the under-19s from 2002 to 2003. He played in the under-19s from 2003-04, but he appeared more often in the reserves before losing in the fourth round of the League Cup on December 3rd. On January 25, he made his second appearance for the first team in the 3–0 FA Cup fourth round victory over Northampton Town before going on a four-month loan to Manchester United's Belgian feeder club, Royal Antwerp, on January 30. He made six appearances for Royal Antwerp, including a 4–0 loss to Club Brugge on February 8, 2004, when he was banned for two bookable offences.

Bardsley made three appearances on the club's 2004-05 pre-season tour of the United States, including games against Bayern Munich, Celtic, and Milan, after returning to Manchester United at the end of 2003-2004. Gary Neville's injury gave him a great deal of opportunities to play between August and November 2005. He had a promising start to the 2005–06 season, but it wasn't all about him. He had been on loan to Burnley for the majority of the season before being called a substitute for a large portion of the season. In the first minute of a 1–1 draw at home to Southampton, he played six matches and scored his own goal.

Bardsley continued to be a key contributor to Manchester United's pre-season program in 2006-07, but he was sent out on loan again on August 16th, this time to Scottish Premier League club Rangers. With a spectacular long-range free kick against Falkirk on September 9, 2006, he scored his only goal for Rangers against Falkirk. He was suspended against Hibernian and, as a result of his dismissal, the Old Firm's match against Celtic was postponed. Bardsley was implicated in a training ground dispute with boss Paul Le Guen, and his future with Rangers seemed to be in doubt on October 17th. Bardsley, as a result of his inability, never played for Rangers again and returned to Manchester United in December.

Bardsley played his first Premier League match against Watford on January 8, 2007 before joining Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season. Bardsley will be back to Manchester United when his loan contract with Villa ran out, according to manager Martin O'Neill, who did not want to make the transfer permanent.

Bardsley will join Sheffield United on loan until January 2008 after playing what appeared to be his last game for the Manchester United first team against Coventry City in the League Cup on September 26, 2007. In a 1–1 draw with Preston North End at Bramall Lane, he made his full debut for the Blades just a few days later. Despite Sheffield United's decision to sign him permanently, Bardsley left at the end of his loan term in January 2008 after playing 16 matches.

Bardsley joined Sunderland on a three-and-a-half year contract worth £850,000, with the possibility of rising to £2 million. In the Premier League's 2–0 win over Birmingham City on January 29, he made his debut in a 2–0 victory. Bardsley played 11 times under Roy Keane in 2007–08, when Sunderland avoided relegation by three points. Bardsley scored his first goal in English football in a 2–1 win over Nottingham Forest in the League Cup on August 27. Bardsley lost out to Pascal Chimbonda in the first half of the 2008–09 season before regaining his position in the team in November 2008. He stayed with Sunderland under Ricky Sbragia's leadership from 2008–09, playing in total 33 times in 2008–09, as the team survived relegation on the final day of the season.

Bardsley stayed under new manager Steve Bruce's watchful eyes for the first half of the 2009–10 season before loan signing Alan Hutton took his place in February 2010. Bardsley was mainly used as a replacement until the end of the season, and Bardsley said he'd have to think about leaving because of his lack of playing time. However, Hutton did not make his transfer permanent, and Bardsley was able to regain his position in the organisation in November 2010, when he agreed to a new three-and-a-year contract that will run until summer 2014. With a 25-yard kick against Aston Villa on January 5, 2011, he scored his first league goal against Aston Villa in a 1–0 victory. In a 4–2 loss, he scored his second game of the season on February 1st, a long range strike against Chelsea. In a 3–2 loss to West Bromwich Albion, he scored his second long-range goal on April 9, 2011. In total, Bardsley played 37 times in 2010-11 as the Black Cats finished in 10th place. Bardsley's consistent performances during his tenure earned him the Player of the Year award.

Bardsley got off to a rocky start in 2011-2012 as he was sent-off in a 1–0 loss to Newcastle United on August 21, 2011. In a 2–1 loss to Chelsea on September 10, 2011, he was later given a retrospective four-match ban by the FA for an altercation Juan Mata. Despite this Bardsley stayed in the team under Martin O'Neill's leadership, winning a total of 37 games as Sunderland finished in 13th position. After recovering ankle surgery in August 2012, he did not get the 2012-13 campaign off the track. Bardsley returned to the side at the end of October 2012, with the team still struggling near the bottom of the table. Paolo Di Canio was fired by O'Neill in March 2013 and he led the team to back-to-back victories over Newcastle United and Everton, relegating the club away from the relegation zone. Bardsley scored in a 1–1 draw with Southampton on May 12, 2013 in the penultimate match of the season. Bardsley and Matthew Kilgallon were photographed visiting a casino together in a Hotspur, angering Di Canio who had promised not to return the pair to the casino again. Bardsley and six other Sunderland players were fined by Di Canio for "indiscipline," which prompted the PFA to investigate the matter.

Bardsley began playing with the under-21s in 2013, and when not playing against Bolton Wanderers on August 12, 2013 he broke his foot, ending Di Canio's attempts to sell him. Bardsley was suspended by Sunderland after mocking the club's opening day loss to Fulham on a social media platform on August 20, 2013. After he apologised, his suspension was lifted on September 4, 2013. In October 2013, Di Canio was fired and replaced by Gus Poyet, and Bardsley was brought back to the first team. In a 4–0 loss at Swansea City, he got off to a rocky start on his return by scoring his own goal. His form improved after scoring against Southampton in the League Cup and the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Manchester City on November 10, 2013. Sunderland advanced to the final on penalties after scoring against his former club Manchester United in the 2nd leg of the League Cup semi-final. Bardsley qualified to Manchester City for the full match of the 2014 Football League Cup Final, defeating Sunderland 3–1. Bardsley appeared 33 times in 2013-14 as Sunderland finished in 14th place.

Other clubs were allowed to approach Bardsley as his Sunderland deal comes to an end at the end of June 2014. Bardsley signed a three-year deal with Stoke City on May 22, 2014. In a 1–0 loss to Aston Villa on the first day of the 2014-15 season, he made his Premier League debut for Stoke. Bardsley came as a regular under Mark Hughes, but discipline suffered with discipline, winning nine yellow cards by March 2015. Bardsley made 30 appearances for Stoke during the 2014-2015 season, finishing in ninth position.

Following the arrival of Glen Johnson from Liverpool, Bardsley dropped out of the Stoke squad for the 2015-16 season. Despite missing out on league appearances, Bardsley was involved in Stoke's League Cup campaign. In the quarter final victory over Sheffield Wednesday, he was sent-off in the fourth round against Chelsea and scored a 30-yard free kick. Bardsley returned to action after suffering an injury in February. In 2015–16, he made 17 appearances for Stoke as Stoke finished in 9th position.

Bardsley defeated Stevenage 4–0 in a 4–0 EFL Cup victory on September 23, 2016, a rare goal. On November, he sustained a knee injury, ruled him out for three months. He returned to the team in February after being sent-off against Chelsea on March 18, 2017, but he was unable to return to the squad until March 18. Bardsley revealed in April 2017 that he is in limbo over whether or not he would be given a new contract. In 2016, Bardsley appeared 16 times as Stoke finished in 13th position. On May 26, 2017, he signed a contract extension with Stoke.

Bardsley completed a transfer to Burnley in the Premier League on July 25, 2017, earning the club's second-year deal.

Bardsley agreed to a new one-year deal with Burnley on March 7, 2021, extending his stay at the club until the summer of 2022. Burnley's Bardsley will leave the club at the end of June when his deal came to an end.

International career

On October 6, 2010, Bardsley was called up for the Scotland national team for the Euro 2012 qualifier against the Czech Republic. He qualifies because his father was born in Glasgow. He made his debut on October 11, 2010 when Spain defeated World and European Champions Spain 3–2 in a 3–2 loss, filling in for injured Alan Hutton.

Coaching career

Bardsley completed a UEFA B Licence course with the Irish Football Association in May 2017.

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