Who is Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley, bio, age, wife, son, tactics, formation, record and stats

Stephen Bradley is a former Irish professional footballer and the current manager of Shamrock Rovers, find out more about him, his wife and son

Stephen is a self-proclaimed Chelsea fan, and ahead of the match against the Blues, he admitted that they are currently one of the most in-form teams.

Who is Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley, bio, age, wife, son, tactics, formation, style of play record and stats

Shamrock head coach Stephen Bradley is a former Chelsea youth team player and a self-confessed Chelsea fan. pic.twitter.com/fGxV3Br3o5

— Vince™ (@Blue_Footy) December 18, 2024

The Shamrock Rovers boss is currently speculated to take up a new role at Millwall, but he brushed off rumours stating that his son’s treatment for leukaemia remains his number one priority.

Stephen Bradley bio

Stephen Bradley is a retired Irish footballer who was born on November 19, 1984, in Dublin, Ireland. Bradely is currently serving as the manager of Shamrock Rovers ever since his appointment in July 2016. During his time as a player, he played across different clubs in the Republic of Ireland, England, and Scotland.

Stephen is married to Emma with whom he has two sons, Josh and Jayden. Bradley’s son Josh who is aged 10 was diagnosed with leukemia with he was 8 years old.

Stephen was about 31-years-old when his mother passed away with her having raised him and his two siblings in Jobstown after his father left the family when he was aged 9.

Player career

During his time as a player, Stephen Bradley represented the Republic of Ireland national football team at the U14, U15, U16, and U21 levels. He started out playing academy football with the Lourdes Celtic and Chelsea before joining Arsenal, where he captained the reserve team. He served a loan spell at Dunfermline Athletic before returning to Ireland and signing for Drogheda United in March 2005.

During his first season at United Park, Stephen Bradley won the FAI Cup, and he was also part of the side that won the league title in 2007. The following year, in January 2008, Bradley signed for Scottish club Falkirk before parting ways that summer. Bradley then signed for Shamrock Rovers in January 2009, making his debut on the opening day of the 2009 season. He then moved to St. Patrick’s Athletic at the end of the 2010 season after Shamrock Rovers released him. He made 30 league appearances during the 2011 season, scoring three times from the penalty spot.

Managerial career and stats

Stephen Bradley started out his managerial career back in 2016 as the caretaker manager of Shamrock Rovers. Later that same year, in November, he was named as the new head coach. He came close to his first cup finish in 2019, when he led the side to a second-place finish in the League of Ireland Premier Division. He eventually led the side to a 2019 FAI Cup win after beating Dundalk 4-2 on penalties. It was the club’s first national silverware in the last eight years and their first FAI Cup win ever since 1987.

The following year, Bradely led Shamrock Rovers to win their 18^th league title in club history. They managed to win the title with four games to spare, and the following season, the team retained the title. Notably, Bradley led the side to another title the following season and qualified for the 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League. Much to the delight of fans, Stephen Bradley led the side to a fourth consecutive title in 2023.

Given below are Stephen Bradley’s managerial stats:

The primary principles of Stephen’s style of play revolve around using off-the-ball movement to drag opponents out of position and allowing Rovers to create overloads and Rovers averaged 57.34% possession in the 2023 season.

Bradley primarily uses a 3-4-2-1 formation at Shamrock Rovers and this formation boasts a defensive solidity that stems from the presence of three central defenders. The defensive trio create a robust backline capable of handling multiple attacking threats and covering a larger defensive area while the wide central defenders also play a crucial role in providing cover for teammates, tracking opposing wingers, and being given a license to carry the ball out of defence.

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