Stephen Bradley: ‘They put a gun to my head and stabbed me 3 times. That’s all I keep in mind’

He was a youngster on the books at Arsenal when Stephen Bradley almost died in late 2003. 

“Inside a minute of coming house, the door was getting kicked in. They put a gun to my head. One was saying: ‘Shoot him, shoot him.’ And the opposite stabbed me; 3 times. That’s all I keep in mind.”

The surgeon who handled him at a London hospital advised Bradley that if the 18-year-old hadn’t deflected the blade, he would have been stabbed by means of the mind. 

Not lengthy earlier than he was attacked in his own residence for the sake of an costly watch on his wrist, he had been coaching with Arsene Wenger’s first staff. It was 2003-04, the season Arsenal received the Premier League with out dropping a sport. 

This week Bradley, 40, returns to town the place he moved as a 15-year-old, now because the supervisor of considered one of Eire’s most historic golf equipment, Shamrock Rovers. On Thursday they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, the place Bradley first went on trial on the age of 10. 

The UEFA Convention League sport can be particular for Bradley, and for loads of his Rovers gamers who made that very same journey to Premier League academies solely to have their goals dashed.

“I almost died, but it surely’s the most effective issues that occurred to me,” Bradley tells The Athletic in his workplace at Rovers’ coaching floor in Tallaght, south-west of Dublin metropolis centre. “I made unhealthy selections again then, and I paid for it. However it made me who I’m right this moment, as an individual, and as a supervisor.”

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Enjoying for Dublin schoolboy golf equipment Jobstown Celtic, Maryland Boys and Lourdes Celtic, by his early teenagers golf equipment in Eire, England and throughout Europe had been conscious of Bradley’s skills. 

His mom Bernadette fielded calls from many high Premier League managers, with one even visiting the household house within the working class Dublin suburb of Jobstown.

“My older brother’s mates had been all Manchester United followers, and so they couldn’t consider Sir Alex (Ferguson) had come to our door,” Bradley says. “Arsene Wenger and Gerard Houllier had been additionally in common contact with my mam. It’s unimaginable now, however on the time I used to be only a younger lad in Jobstown, who occurred to be good at soccer.”

Among the many most persistent suitors had been Chelsea, the membership Bradley supported as a boy, and the place he had that first trial aged 10.

“I used to be at Chelsea 10 or 15 instances,” he says. “I went to quite a lot of tournaments with them, educated at Stamford Bridge with Gianfranco Zola, John Terry, Dennis Clever, Tore Andre Flo. I travelled with the staff to the (1997) FA Cup ultimate, in opposition to Middlesbrough, when (Roberto) Di Matteo scored in off the bar. I’ve actually fond recollections of Chelsea.”

At 15, Bradley determined to hitch Arsenal, the place former Republic of Eire midfielder Liam Brady headed the academy. Two years later he signed a pro-contract and was quickly captain of an Arsenal reserve aspect that included David Bentley, Gael Clichy and Jeremie Aliadiere.

“I used to be requested to mould my sport on Pablo Aimar,” Bradley remembers. “He got here to Highbury with Valencia, he was high class. I keep in mind a reserves sport in opposition to Chelsea (in August 2003). I beat Winston Bogarde early on. He in all probability made me seem like Pablo Aimar that day.”

Throughout the Invincibles season of 2003-04, when Arsenal had been unbeaten on their solution to successful the Premier League title, Wenger referred to as Bradley to coach with the primary staff.

“Initially you get imposter syndrome,” he says. “My first few instances coaching, I used to be nervous, couldn’t move the ball. Senior gamers actually helped, they demanded and pushed you — Tony Adams, Ray Parlour, Ashley Cole, Dennis Bergkamp. Martin Keown was unimaginable.

“In the future at coaching, I turned out, and Patrick Vieira might have completely smashed me. He pulled me afterwards and defined: ‘In the event you try this in a sport, you’ll get damage.’ He gave me alternative ways of turning, trying, maneuvering the ball, in order that scenario didn’t occur once more. I had a great deal of these conversations.”

However Bradley by no means performed a first-team sport for Arsenal. Even youthful midfielders Cesc Fabregas and his former housemate Sebastian Larsson moved forward of him. 

“To be truthful, I finished working, took my foot proper off the gasoline,” Bradley says. “In your head you’ve made it, you’re coaching with these boys, incomes some huge cash, taking with no consideration the services, the coaches, the surroundings. Liam (Brady) pulled me apart and mentioned: ‘Look, you might want to get going right here.’ Pat Rice (did the identical), Wenger himself too.

“Soccer is ruthless, particularly at that stage. Right away you might see how particular Fabregas was. It’s too late then, at a membership like Arsenal. You suppose you’re getting away with issues, however you’re not.”

The incident that modified Bradley’s life got here in late 2003. Having been suggested to purchase an costly watch as an funding, he began sporting it on nights out round London.

“You get caught up in that way of life,” Bradley says. “And the flawed folks seen. I went out for dinner with some team-mates. Inside a minute of coming house, the door was getting kicked in. They put a gun to my head. One was saying: ‘Shoot him, shoot him.’ And the opposite stabbed me; 3 times. That’s all I keep in mind.”

Bradley was left unconscious on the ground of his home. Luckily, his team-mates Larsson, Stephen O’Donnell and Patrick Cregg quickly arrived, and he was rushed to hospital.

“The surgeon mentioned with the blood I used to be dropping, I’d not have made it if that they had not been there,” Bradley says. “He mentioned: ‘You had been millimetres away from the knife piercing your mind, which might have killed you. If you defended your self, the knife went round, fairly than down. They will need to have been kicking you whenever you had been out chilly.’

“I had two damaged ribs on both sides. The watch was gone.”

Earlier than the assault, it was already clear that Bradley would go away Arsenal. A possible transfer to Fulham was now off. As a substitute it was again to Dublin.

“Arsenal did assist me,” he says. “Liam helped me. However I used to be offended at soccer, offended at everybody. I might play no bodily soccer for nearly a 12 months. I knew I wanted to be house, round my mam and my household. I actually needed to do some soul-searching and discover myself once more.”

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As soon as Bradley was bodily prepared, Brady helped organise a summer time 2004 transfer to the Scottish staff Dunfermline. He quickly returned to Eire at Drogheda United, successful the 2005 FAI Cup and 2007 Premier Division title.

The actual homecoming got here in March 2009, when Bradley joined Shamrock Rovers. 4 years after the membership virtually disappeared utterly till 400 followers dipped into their very own wallets to reserve it, Rovers had been opening a brand new stadium in Tallaght, only a 10-minute stroll from his household house.

“You could possibly really feel the power that night time was totally different,” Bradley remembers. “Individuals had been ready so lengthy; had fought a lot.”

Bradley performed 63 video games over two years at Rovers, together with two Europa League qualifying legs in opposition to Juventus in summer time 2010. After spells with St Patrick’s Athletic and Limerick, he retired aged simply 28, having already determined his future was in administration.

“I felt I’d by no means attain my potential as a participant,” he says. “And I used to be at peace with that. Whereas I used to be nonetheless taking part in, I took notes on all the pieces — coaching, staff talks, opposition groups, even Champions Leagues video games and worldwide tournaments.”

Initially, he mixed a youth-coach job at Rovers with scouting for Arsenal, working with Steve Rowley, Brian McDermott and Francis Cagigao, writing detailed studies on potential signings.

“I had an affect on signings like Granit Xhaka, Gabriel (Magalhaes) and (Gabriel) Martinelli.” Bradley says. “I additionally appreciated (Wilfred) Ndidi, (Manuel) Akanji and (Nathan) Ake. I actually appreciated (Virgil) van Dijk when he was at Celtic, however they weren’t positive how fast he was.”

Arsenal talked to Bradley a few extra senior European scouting position, however accepted his departure to grow to be Rovers’ supervisor in July 2016, on the age of 31. The membership had a brand new stadium however no coaching floor, and most of their gamers had been nonetheless part-time. Together with new sporting director Stephen McPhail, the previous Leeds midfielder, Bradley got down to “change the entire mentality, from boardroom stage down”.

In 2019, Bradley guided Rovers to a primary FAI Cup win since 1987, successful a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw with Dundalk. Rovers’ goalscorer in regular time was Aaron McEneff, who had been at Tottenham as a youngster. Scorers within the shoot-out included Jack Byrne, who starred for Manchester Metropolis Below-18s however by no means reached the Premier League, and Gary O’Neill, who had been at Wolves, Port Vale, Southport and Hereford earlier than returning to Eire.

“Irish gamers had been going to England too younger,” Bradley says. “And most had been coming house damaged, hating soccer. I do know — I used to be considered one of them. I keep in mind saying: ‘Once I’m a supervisor that’ll be my primary factor.’ In the event you fastened the particular person, you’d get the participant.”

In 2020, Rovers received their 18th league title, starting a ‘4 in a row’ run matching their historic achievement within the Nineteen Eighties. Among the many gamers to have contributed are present Eire senior internationals Liam Scales, now of Celtic, and Gavin Bazunu, now at Southampton and probably the most high-profile graduate of Rovers’ new academy at Kingswood.

“Once I was rising up, 5 minutes’ drive from right here, you performed schoolboys’ soccer, you then went to England,” Bradley says. “Now you’ll be able to progress right here from seven years of age to the primary staff. We’ve had gamers who turned down strikes to England once they had been younger, trusted us and got here right here.”

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In June 2022, Bradley’s son Josh, then eight years outdated, was identified with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The following house sport was a 1-0 victory over metropolis rivals Bohemians.

“I keep in mind telling the gamers beforehand that what we’re doing is larger than 90 minutes,” Bradley says. “I regarded across the dressing room and 5 or 6 folks had been crying. I used to be crying. However the gamers actually appreciated me being so open with them.

“They had been unimaginable that night time. Josh got here into the dressing room afterwards. All of them gave him a hug. It was a particular second.”

Typically Bradley would handle the staff within the night, then the next morning carry his son for chemotherapy at Crumlin hospital in Dublin.

When Rovers received the LOI title in October 2022, Josh left hospital to assist captain Ronan Finn carry the trophy.

Among the best Irish sporting moments of 2022. Josh Bradley – who was identified with leukaemia in June – lifts the League of Eire trophy alongside his dad and the triumphant Shamrock Rovers squad. 💚pic.twitter.com/7cDx6RtWfL

— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) October 30, 2022

“The hospital didn’t suppose Josh’d have the ability to go away the mattress, however he needed to go that night time,” Bradley says. “These moments, that 5-10 minutes of aid, made all of it worthwhile.

“Proper now he’s doing nice. When he’s not in therapy, he’s again taking part in soccer along with his mates. Quite a lot of households put their life on maintain for 2 or three years (after a most cancers analysis). However we had been adamant that was not going to be the case. Hopefully we solely have a couple of extra months of the therapy, after which we’re completed.”

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Firmly established as Eire’s strongest staff, Rovers’ subsequent problem was Europe.

They reached the 2022-23 Europa League group stage, however managed solely two factors from six video games. Final season’s marketing campaign ended early after a 6-0 mixture play-off defeat by Hungary’s Ferencvaros.

This summer time they beat Vikingur Reykjavik within the Champions League qualifiers, then fell to Sparta Prague. Within the Europa League they eradicated Slovenians NK Celje 3-2, however misplaced in opposition to PAOK Salonika. That also meant qualification for the Convention League group levels.

One other problem is the League of Eire season operating from February to November. A deal with Europe contributed to Rovers dropping this 12 months’s title race to fellow Dublin aspect Shelbourne, who’re managed by the previous Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Newcastle United winger Damien Duff.

Within the Convention League desk, a gap attract Tallaght with APOEL Nicosia was adopted by wins over Northern Eire’s Larne FC and New Saints of Wales. Then there was a gritty draw at Fast Vienna and final week’s emphatic 3-0 win in opposition to the Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka. That meant an Irish staff certified from a European competitors group stage for the primary time.

“We’ve been off for a month competitively, however the gamers’ mindset and angle has been sensible,” Bradley says. “Possibly I didn’t suppose we’d get 11 factors by now, however our intention was to qualify for the knockout levels. We’ve gone and completed that, which is implausible.”

Many Rovers gamers had combined experiences in England. Midfielder Dylan Watts joined Rovers on a free switch from Leicester Metropolis. Centre-back Daniel Cleary was at Liverpool as a youngster. Bradley has blended them in his squad with worldwide signings, comparable to Estonian worldwide midfielder Markus Poom — son of former Derby County, Sunderland and Arsenal goalkeeper Mart — and German ‘keeper Leon Pohls.

The star in opposition to Borac was 21-year-old striker Johnny Kenny, who scored two to make it 5 targets in 5 video games within the Convention League, and 20 in 38 video games this season. Kenny is on mortgage from Celtic, the place he has struggled to make an influence since becoming a member of aged 18.

Cool. Calm. Composed. 🌟#RoversInEurope pic.twitter.com/2Hgtoi4YsE

— Shamrock Rovers FC (@ShamrockRovers) December 14, 2024

“When Johnny got here in right here, he was in a extremely powerful, darkish place,” Bradley says. “I keep in mind considering: ‘I can see myself in him; he wants assist as an individual.’ Now you might be seeing his potential. It was about getting him into an surroundings and a tradition the place he feels secure and comfortable.”

Thursday’s sport at Chelsea is a large event for everybody at Rovers. Amongst their 3,000 supporters at Stamford Bridge can be lots of the 400 whose private contributions saved the membership in 2005. A combined possession mannequin now sees businessmen Ray Wilson and Dermot Desmond (additionally a Celtic shareholder) proudly owning 25 per cent every.

This season’s European exploits will earn Rovers greater than €7million — an enormous windfall by League of Eire requirements. Nevertheless final season noticed €2.3m losses after exiting Europe early, that means shareholders needed to fund working prices initially of this 12 months.

Bradley desires to see “alignment” between the followers’ representatives and rich shareholders, to make sure the membership retains investing in gamers and services. He doesn’t cover his personal private future ambitions, whereas additionally remembering the debt he and his household owe Rovers and their supporters.

“I owe these followers a lot,” he says. “We’ve got to maintain pushing and getting higher yearly, on and off the pitch. I’d prefer to handle on the highest stage and actually check myself.

“However Josh’s therapy is primary. After that, what can be can be.”

(Getty Photos)