Chris Brunt facts for kids
Brunt playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 December 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 feet 2 inches (1.87 m) | ||
| Playing position | Left winger, left-back, attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | Middlesbrough | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2004 | Middlesbrough | 0 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 6 | (2) |
| 2004–2007 | Sheffield Wednesday | 134 | (21) |
| 2007–2020 | West Bromwich Albion | 382 | (44) |
| 2020–2021 | Bristol City | 12 | (0) |
| Total | 534 | (67) | |
| National team | |||
| 2002–2003 | Northern Ireland U19 | 8 | (3) |
| 2005–2006 | Northern Ireland U21 | 2 | (1) |
| 2005 | Northern Ireland U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 2004–2017 | Northern Ireland | 65 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2024–2025 | West Bromwich Albion (interim) | ||
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Christopher Colin Brunt (born on December 14, 1984) is a former professional footballer from Northern Ireland. He played mainly as a midfielder. Chris Brunt is also known for being a loan player manager for West Bromwich Albion. Many people think he is one of the best midfielders in the club's history.
Brunt was a very flexible player. He often played as a left winger, but he could also play as a left-back or an attacking midfielder. He started his career at Middlesbrough, but he didn't play for their main team. In 2004, he joined Sheffield Wednesday and played 153 games for them. Then, in 2007, he moved to West Bromwich Albion, where he played over 400 matches. He also played 65 games for the Northern Ireland national team between 2004 and 2017. He also played for his country's youth teams.
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Chris Brunt's Early Life
Chris Brunt was born and grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He went to Newtownbreda Primary School and then to Wellington College Belfast. When he was a young player, he played for Saint Andrew's Boys' Club.
Chris Brunt's Club Career
Playing for Middlesbrough
When Chris Brunt was 16, he had tryouts with professional teams like Rangers and Middlesbrough. He joined Middlesbrough's youth academy in 2001. A year later, he signed his first professional contract. However, he never got to play for Middlesbrough's main team.
Playing for Sheffield Wednesday
In March 2004, Brunt moved to Sheffield Wednesday for a short time at first. Soon after, he signed a permanent two-year contract with them for free.
In the 2004–05 season, which was his first full season, Brunt helped Wednesday get promoted to the Championship. He scored five goals that season, with four of them in the league. In July 2005, he extended his contract for another year.
The next season, he scored seven goals, making him the club's top scorer. During that season, he also played his 100th game for Wednesday. This made him the most experienced player at the club at that time.
In July 2007, with only one year left on his contract, talks between Brunt and Wednesday stopped. The club said his requests for higher wages were "excessive."
Playing for West Bromwich Albion
First Years and Promotion (2007–2010)
West Bromwich Albion bought Chris Brunt on August 14, 2007. He signed a four-year deal for £3 million the next day. Brunt played his first game for Albion on September 1, 2007, coming on as a substitute in a 2–0 win against Barnsley. He scored his first goal for the club on September 22, 2007, in a 3–2 win against Scunthorpe United.
On March 1, 2008, Brunt played very well in a 3–0 win against Plymouth Argyle. He was even named in the Championship Team of the Week. On April 28, 2008, Brunt scored a late goal against Southampton in a 1–1 draw. This goal helped Albion get promoted to the Premier League. He then scored a free kick in West Brom's 2–0 win over Queens Park Rangers (QPR), which officially secured their automatic promotion.
In the 2008–09 season, Brunt was the club's top scorer with nine goals. However, the season ended sadly as the club was relegated, finishing last. Despite this, he was named the club's Player of the Year for that season.
He had his best goal-scoring season in 2009–10, scoring 13 goals in 43 games. He helped the club get back to the Premier League again. He scored the second goal in a 3–2 win against Doncaster on April 10, 2010, which secured their Premier League spot. In July 2010, Brunt signed a new three-year contract to stay with the club until 2013.
Becoming Club Captain (2011–2014)
In January 2011, Brunt became the stand-in captain after the manager decided to change the previous captain. When Roy Hodgson became the manager in February 2011, he made Brunt the permanent captain. Brunt signed another three-year contract in August 2011 because he was playing so well.
He continued to be the club captain even after Roy Hodgson left to manage the England national team.
Brunt helped the team finish 8th in the 2012–13 season. This was the highest the club had ever finished in the Premier League. They also set a record for the most points (48) for the club. He scored two goals that season: a long-range shot against QPR and a goal against Aston Villa.
Alan Irvine became West Brom's manager in 2014 and confirmed that Brunt would remain captain. On August 10, 2014, Brunt signed a new three-year deal to stay at the club until 2017.
Injuries and Comebacks (2015–2020)
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Brunt gave up the captaincy to new player Darren Fletcher on February 8, 2015. On May 18, 2015, Brunt was hit by a ball kicked by Cesc Fàbregas during a game against Chelsea.
On February 20, 2016, during an FA Cup game, Brunt was unfortunately hit in the face by a coin thrown by a West Brom supporter. He was very upset by this incident.
After being out for eight months with a knee injury, Brunt returned to play on October 15, 2016, in a 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. He scored his first goal of the 2016–17 season on December 3 in a 3–1 win against Watford. His second goal came on January 2, 2017, in a 3–1 win against Hull City, when he headed in a Matt Phillips corner kick.
On January 14, 2017, he played his 300th league game and 200th Premier League start for West Brom. On February 9, 2017, Brunt signed a contract extension to stay until 2018. In August 2017, he played his 500th career game in club football. The next month, he played his 350th game for Albion.
In his last game for West Brom, Brunt helped them get promoted to the Premier League with a 2–2 draw against Queens Park Rangers. He left West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2020 after 13 years. Brunt holds the record for the most Premier League appearances for Albion, having played 269 times.
Playing for Bristol City
After leaving West Brom, Brunt signed a one-year deal with Championship team Bristol City on September 7, 2020.
On January 3, 2021, Brunt left Bristol City. They agreed to end his contract because of an injury that would keep him out for most of the season.
In May 2021, he announced that he was retiring from professional football.
Chris Brunt's International Career
Chris Brunt played 65 games for the Northern Ireland national team. He scored his first goal for his country in February 2009. His free kick helped Northern Ireland win 3–0 against San Marino. In April 2012, Brunt was considered for the Great Britain football team for the 2012 Olympics, but he was not chosen for the final team.
He missed out on playing in Euro 2016 because of a serious knee injury that needed surgery. On November 11, 2016, Brunt returned to play for Northern Ireland in a 2018 World Cup qualification match against Azerbaijan. He helped set up a goal and scored the final goal in a 4–0 win.
He announced his retirement from international football in August 2018.
Chris Brunt's Coaching Career
In March 2021, Brunt returned to West Bromwich Albion as a coach for their youth academy. The next year, he became the club's loans manager.
Interim Manager at West Bromwich Albion
In December 2024, after the manager Carlos Corberán left, Chris Brunt became the temporary manager for West Bromwich Albion. His first game in charge was a 2–1 loss against Derby County.
Chris Brunt's Personal Life
Chris Brunt became a father for the first time on May 1, 2008, when his wife Cathy gave birth to their son, Charlie. On April 18, 2011, they welcomed their second child, Zach David Brunt. Chris Brunt is also a cousin of Canadian ice hockey player Shawn Thornton.
Chris Brunt's Honours
Sheffield Wednesday
- Football League One play-offs: 2005 (won promotion)
West Bromwich Albion
- Football League Championship: 2007–08 (champions); runner-up: 2009–10, 2019–20 (promoted)
Individual Awards
- West Bromwich Albion Player of the Year: 2008–09
See also
In Spanish: Chris Brunt para niños
