Steve Bruce facts for kids
Bruce in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Roger Bruce | ||
| Date of birth | 31 December 1960 | ||
| Place of birth | Corbridge, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Blackpool (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1977–1979 | Gillingham | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1979–1984 | Gillingham | 205 | (29) |
| 1984–1987 | Norwich City | 141 | (14) |
| 1987–1996 | Manchester United | 309 | (36) |
| 1996–1998 | Birmingham City | 72 | (2) |
| 1998–1999 | Sheffield United | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 737 | (81) | |
| National team | |||
| 1979–1980 | England Youth | 8 | (1) |
| 1987 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1998–1999 | Sheffield United | ||
| 1999–2000 | Huddersfield Town | ||
| 2001 | Wigan Athletic | ||
| 2001 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 2001–2007 | Birmingham City | ||
| 2007–2009 | Wigan Athletic | ||
| 2009–2011 | Sunderland | ||
| 2012–2016 | Hull City | ||
| 2016–2018 | Aston Villa | ||
| 2019 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| 2019–2021 | Newcastle United | ||
| 2022 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| 2024– | Blackpool | ||
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Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English football manager and former player. He played as a centre-back for twenty years. Currently, he is the head coach for EFL League One club Blackpool.
Steve Bruce was born in Corbridge, England. He was a talented young footballer but many professional clubs turned him down. He almost gave up on football. Then, Gillingham offered him a trial. He became an apprentice and played over 200 games for them.
In 1984, he joined Norwich City. He won the League Cup in 1985 with them. In 1987, he moved to Manchester United. There, he became very successful. He won twelve trophies, including three Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He was the first English player in the 1900s to captain a team that won both the league and the FA Cup in the same season (the Double).
Even with all his success, he never played for the England national team. Many experts say he was one of the best English players of his time not to play for his country.
Bruce started his coaching career with Sheffield United. He also managed Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic, and Crystal Palace. In 2001, he joined Birmingham City. He helped Birmingham get promoted to the Premier League twice. He left in 2007 to manage Wigan again.
After that, he managed Sunderland from 2009 to 2011. Seven months later, he became manager of Hull City. He led Hull to two Premier League promotions and the 2014 FA Cup Final. He left Hull in 2016. He then managed Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday.
In 2019, he took over at Newcastle United. He kept them in the Premier League during the COVID-19 pandemic. He left in November 2021 after the club was bought by new owners. His last match was his 1,000th as a club manager. In February 2022, Bruce became manager of West Bromwich Albion. He left in October 2022. He was appointed head coach of Blackpool in September 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Football Dreams
Steve Bruce was born in Corbridge, Northumberland. He was the older of two sons. His family lived near Wallsend. Steve went to Benfield School.
As a boy, Bruce was a big fan of Newcastle United. He would sneak into St James' Park to watch them play. He said, "I have always been a Newcastle lad." He played football for Wallsend Boys Club. Many other future professional players came from this club.
When he was 13, he was a ball boy at the 1974 League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. This was a big moment for him.
Starting His Journey in Football
Several professional clubs, including Newcastle United, turned Bruce down. He was about to start work as a plumber. Then, Gillingham, a Third Division club, offered him a trial. Their manager, Gerry Summers, had seen him play.
Bruce traveled to Kent with Peter Beardsley, another player from Wallsend. Gillingham signed Bruce as an apprentice. At first, Bruce played as a midfielder. But Bill Collins, Gillingham's youth coach, moved him to centre-back. Bruce says Collins was the biggest influence on his career.
Playing Career Highlights
Time at Gillingham
In the 1978–79 season, Bruce played for Gillingham's reserve team. Even as a defender, he scored 18 goals. In January 1979, he played for the England youth team. He played eight times for them.
He made his senior debut for Gillingham on 11 August 1979. It was a League Cup game against Luton Town. He quickly became important to the team. He won the club's Player of the Year award in his first season. He played over 200 games for Gillingham. He was also chosen twice for the Professional Footballers' Association's Third Division Team of the Year.
Bruce wanted to move to a bigger club. In April 1983, he broke his leg in a game. This kept him out for six months. He returned to play well in the FA Cup in 1984. This caught the eye of First Division clubs. He decided to join Norwich City in August 1984. The transfer fee was around £125,000. In 2009, he was added to Gillingham's Hall of Fame.
Success with Norwich City
Bruce's first game for Norwich was against Liverpool. He scored an own goal in the first minute! But he soon scored the winning goal in a League Cup semi-final. Norwich then won the final. Bruce was named man of the match.
Norwich was relegated that season. But Bruce played every game as they won promotion back to the top division. This was in the 1985–86 season. He then became club captain. The next season, he helped Norwich finish fifth in the league. This was their highest finish ever.
In 1987, he captained the England B team. This was his only time playing for England. Many people say he was one of the best defenders of his time not to play for the main England team.
Big clubs started to notice Bruce in 1987. Manchester United was very interested. Bruce wanted to join them. The deal was almost off when Norwich asked for more money. Bruce refused to play for Norwich. On 17 December 1987, he joined Manchester United for about £800,000. In 2002, Norwich fans voted him into their Hall of Fame.
Becoming a Legend at Manchester United
Bruce played his first game for Manchester United on 19 December 1987. He played in most of their games that season. United finished in the top two for the first time since 1980. The next season, manager Alex Ferguson brought in new players. One was Gary Pallister.
Bruce and Pallister formed a strong partnership in defense. They were called "Dolly and Daisy." Many say they were the best defensive pair in the club's history. They helped United win the 1990 FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace.
English clubs were allowed to play in European competitions again. United entered the European Cup Winners' Cup in the 1990–91 season. Bruce played regularly and scored three goals. United won the final 2–1 against FC Barcelona. This was a great season for Bruce. He scored 19 goals in all competitions.
Bruce had an operation for a hernia in the 1991–92 season. United lost the league title to Leeds United. But Bruce helped United win their first League Cup in April 1992. He captained the team in the final.
In the 1992–93 season, Bruce often captained the team. This was the first season of the new Premier League. Bruce scored two late goals against Sheffield Wednesday. These goals helped United win the first Premier League title. It was the club's first English championship since 1967. Bruce and Bryan Robson lifted the trophy together.
Bruce was contacted by the Republic of Ireland national team manager, Jack Charlton. Bruce's mother was born in Northern Ireland, so he could play for Ireland. But his earlier games for England Youth meant he couldn't play for another country's senior team.
United continued to dominate in the 1993–94 season. They won their second Premier League title. They also beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final. This made them only the fourth team to win the Double. Bruce was the first English captain to achieve this in the 20th century.
The 1994–95 season was not as good. United did not win a third Premier League title. They also lost the FA Cup final to Everton.
In the next season, Bruce was offered manager jobs by three clubs. But Alex Ferguson wanted him to stay at United. Bruce played 30 more Premier League games. United won the championship again. Bruce was not in the squad for the FA Cup final due to a small injury. At the end of the season, Bruce left United. He joined Birmingham City on a free transfer. He signed a contract worth almost £2 million over two years.
Later Playing Years
Birmingham manager Trevor Francis signed Bruce and other experienced players. Bruce was made team captain. But he had many disagreements with Francis. Bruce was linked with the manager's job at Birmingham.
In the 1997–98 season, Bruce played less often. He was left out of a game against Nottingham Forest. This caused a public argument. At the end of the season, he became player-manager of Sheffield United. He played 11 matches for them before retiring as a player. His last game was on 28 November 1998.
How Steve Bruce Played
Early in his career, Bruce played with a lot of energy. He called it "rampaging." This sometimes got him into trouble. Later, he became a strong and reliable player. People said he made the most of his natural ability.
He was known for his calm passing and controlling the ball. He was also famous for scoring many goals for a centre-back. He was good at heading the ball and taking penalty kicks.
Bruce was not the fastest player. But he was brave and tough. He was seen as the "heart" of Manchester United's defense. He often played even when he was injured. Alex Ferguson praised his "determination and heart."
Managerial Career Journey
First Steps as a Manager
In his first season as a manager, Bruce led Sheffield United to eighth place. He caused a stir in an FA Cup match against Arsenal. He felt Arsenal had broken a rule of sportsmanship. Arsenal scored a winning goal when United had kicked the ball out for an injured player. The game was replayed.
In May 1999, Bruce left Sheffield United. He said there were problems with the club's owners. He almost left football. But Huddersfield Town owner Barry Rubery convinced him to become their manager.
Huddersfield started the 1999–2000 season well. But they lost form and did not reach the play-offs. Bruce was sacked in October 2000. He then managed Wigan Athletic in April 2001. Wigan reached the play-offs but lost. Bruce left Wigan after less than two months. He became manager of Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace started the 2001–02 season strongly. But Bruce resigned after less than three months. He wanted to return to Birmingham City. Crystal Palace tried to stop him. But he was allowed to join Birmingham after a deal was made. By now, he was known for not staying in jobs for long.
Leading Birmingham City
When Bruce arrived, Birmingham was in the middle of the First Division table. They went on a long unbeaten run. This helped them reach the play-offs. They beat Bruce's old club, Norwich City, in the final. They won after a penalty shoot-out. This got them promoted to the Premier League. It was their first time back in 16 years.
Birmingham struggled at first in the Premier League. But Bruce signed Christophe Dugarry. This helped the team a lot. They finished 13th in the 2002–03 season. They finished higher than local rivals Aston Villa.
The next season started well. Birmingham reached fourth place. But they finished tenth. In June 2004, Bruce signed a new five-year contract. But two months later, Newcastle United wanted him as their manager. Bruce was keen to join Newcastle. But he stayed at Birmingham.
In February 2006, Bruce was again linked to the Newcastle job. Birmingham was struggling in the league. On 21 March 2006, they lost 7–0 at home to Liverpool in the FA Cup. Some fans wanted him to resign. But Bruce kept fighting. Birmingham was relegated at the end of the season.
In the 2006–07 season, Birmingham started slowly in the Championship. Fans called for him to be sacked. But the team won six games in a row. They were joint leaders by November. On 29 April 2007, Birmingham won promotion back to the Premier League. Chairman David Gold praised Bruce.
Return to Wigan Athletic
In May 2007, Birmingham offered Bruce a new contract. But the club's new owner, Carson Yeung, did not approve it. In October 2007, Bolton Wanderers wanted to talk to Bruce. But Birmingham refused permission.
Later that month, Bruce met Yeung. Bruce said Birmingham's managing director had "shafted" him on a new contract. Wigan Athletic asked to speak to Bruce. He was open to their offer. Wigan agreed to pay Birmingham about £3 million in compensation. This was a record for a manager transfer at the time. On 19 November, Wigan announced Bruce was joining them again.
Bruce's first game back at Wigan was a 1–1 draw with Manchester City. Wigan fought against relegation for the rest of the season. But they stayed in the Premier League. In September 2008, Bruce was again linked to the Newcastle United job.
Bruce led Wigan to an 11th-place finish in the 2008–09 season.
Managing Sunderland
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On 27 May 2009, Bruce was allowed to talk to Sunderland. He was confirmed as their new manager on 3 June. He signed a three-year contract. Three of his Wigan coaches joined him. In his first season, Sunderland finished 13th in the Premier League.
Bruce made many changes to Sunderland's team. He signed 13 new players and sold 15. On 25 February 2011, Bruce signed a contract extension until 2014. Chairman Niall Quinn praised him.
Bruce was sacked on 30 November 2011. Sunderland was in 16th place after a bad run of games. He later said his dismissal was because he was a fan of Newcastle United, Sunderland's rivals.
Time at Hull City
On 8 June 2012, Bruce became manager of Hull City. He signed a three-year contract. In his first season, he led them to promotion to the Premier League. They finished second in the Championship.
The next season, Hull finished 16th. They also reached the FA Cup final for the first time. They led 2–0 against Arsenal. But Arsenal scored three goals and won the trophy. Reaching the final meant Hull qualified for the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League. This was their first European competition.
In March 2015, Bruce signed a three-year contract extension. Hull had a bad run of form. They were relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2014–15 season.
In January 2016, Bruce won the Championship Manager of the Month award. Hull finished fourth that season. They won the play-offs against Sheffield Wednesday. This meant promotion to the Premier League again. Bruce said he had thought about resigning after relegation. In July 2016, he was interviewed for the England manager job. Three days later, he resigned from Hull City. He said he was frustrated by a lack of new player signings.
Managing Aston Villa
On 12 October 2016, Bruce became manager of Aston Villa. In his second game, Villa won their first away game in 14 months. He brought in Colin Calderwood and Stephen Clemence as coaches.
In the 2017–18 season, Villa reached the play-offs. They beat Middlesbrough to get to the final. But they lost 1–0 to Fulham. This meant they missed out on promotion. On 2 October 2018, Villa drew 3–3 at home. A fan threw a cabbage at Bruce. The next day, he was sacked by Villa.
Short Spell at Sheffield Wednesday
In January 2019, Bruce was appointed manager of Sheffield Wednesday. He started the job in February. He defended his late start. He had two operations and needed time to recover. He also needed time after his parents died in 2018.
Leading Newcastle United
BBC Sport reported in July 2019 that Bruce had resigned from Sheffield Wednesday. He had talked to Newcastle United about their manager job. His appointment at Newcastle was confirmed on 17 July. Sheffield Wednesday complained about his move. But Newcastle denied any wrongdoing.
Fans had mixed feelings about Bruce joining Newcastle. He was a fan of the club's rivals, Sunderland. Bruce asked fans to give him time. He signed six new players. This included Joelinton for £40 million, a club record.
In his first season, Newcastle finished 13th. The next season, they finished 12th. In October 2021, the club was bought by new owners. Bruce was expected to be dismissed. But he stayed in charge. He became the 34th manager in English football to manage 1,000 competitive matches. Newcastle lost that match 3–2. Some fans called for Bruce to be removed. He left Newcastle by mutual agreement three days later. He reportedly received an £8 million payment.
West Bromwich Albion Role
On 3 February 2022, Bruce became manager of West Bromwich Albion. He signed an 18-month contract. West Brom was in sixth place in the Championship. He left the role eight months later. The team was 22nd in the division. This was their lowest league position in over 20 years.
Current Role at Blackpool
Bruce was appointed head coach of EFL League One team Blackpool on 3 September 2024. He had a perfect start, winning his first four matches. He was named EFL League One Manager of the Month for September 2024.
Life Outside Football
Personal Life and Family
Steve Bruce married Janet Smith in February 1983. They are both from the Hexham area. They have two children, Alex (born 1984) and Amy (born 1987). Alex also became a professional footballer. His father signed him for Hull City in 2012. Alex had played for his father at Birmingham City before. He left Birmingham in 2006 due to claims of nepotism.
In September 2004, Bruce was involved in an incident outside his home. Two men tried to steal his daughter's car. He got facial injuries but still traveled to a Premier League match that day.
Other Activities and Books
Bruce's autobiography, Heading for Victory, was published in 1994. In 1999, he wrote three novels: Striker!, Sweeper! and Defender!. The books were about a fictional football manager, Steve Barnes. This character was based on Bruce. He solved mysteries and stopped terrorists. Bruce later said he was embarrassed by these books. They are now rare collector's items. He planned a new autobiography in 2019. But he postponed it after his parents died. He wanted to focus on his job at Newcastle.
Playing Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gillingham | 1979–80 | Third Division | 40 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 44 | 8 | ||
| 1980–81 | Third Division | 41 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 46 | 7 | |||
| 1981–82 | Third Division | 45 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | 55 | 8 | ||
| 1982–83 | Third Division | 39 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 46 | 8 | |||
| 1983–84 | Third Division | 40 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 46 | 7 | ||
| Total | 205 | 29 | 14 | 2 | 15 | 6 | — | 3 | 1 | 237 | 38 | |||
| Norwich City | 1984–85 | First Division | 39 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 3 | — | — | 53 | 5 | ||
| 1985–86 | Second Division | 42 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | 6 | 0 | 53 | 10 | ||
| 1986–87 | First Division | 41 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 52 | 3 | ||
| 1987–88 | First Division | 19 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 141 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 20 | 6 | — | 10 | 0 | 180 | 21 | |||
| Manchester United | 1987–88 | First Division | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 24 | 2 | |||
| 1988–89 | First Division | 38 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 51 | 5 | ||
| 1989–90 | First Division | 34 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 43 | 3 | |||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 31 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 19 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 37 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 50 | 6 | ||
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 42 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 50 | 5 | ||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 41 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 62 | 7 | |
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 35 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 4 | |
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | ||
| Total | 309 | 36 | 41 | 3 | 34 | 6 | 27 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 417 | 52 | ||
| Birmingham City | 1996–97 | First Division | 32 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 1 | ||
| 1997–98 | First Division | 40 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 45 | 2 | |||
| Total | 72 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 84 | 3 | ||||
| Sheffield United | 1998–99 | First Division | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 737 | 81 | 70 | 7 | 76 | 18 | 27 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 929 | 114 | ||
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Sheffield United | 2 July 1998 | 17 May 1999 | 55 | 22 | 15 | 18 | 40.0 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 24 May 1999 | 16 October 2000 | 66 | 25 | 16 | 25 | 37.9 | |
| Wigan Athletic | 4 April 2001 | 29 May 2001 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 37.5 | |
| Crystal Palace | 31 May 2001 | 2 November 2001 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 61.1 | |
| Birmingham City | 12 December 2001 | 23 November 2007 | 269 | 100 | 69 | 100 | 37.2 | |
| Wigan Athletic | 26 November 2007 | 3 June 2009 | 68 | 23 | 17 | 28 | 33.8 | |
| Sunderland | 3 June 2009 | 30 November 2011 | 98 | 29 | 28 | 41 | 29.6 | |
| Hull City | 8 June 2012 | 22 July 2016 | 201 | 82 | 44 | 75 | 40.8 | |
| Aston Villa | 12 October 2016 | 3 October 2018 | 102 | 46 | 25 | 31 | 45.1 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1 February 2019 | 15 July 2019 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 38.9 | |
| Newcastle United | 17 July 2019 | 20 October 2021 | 97 | 28 | 28 | 41 | 28.9 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 3 February 2022 | 10 October 2022 | 32 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 25.0 | |
| Blackpool | 3 September 2024 | Present | 28 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 32.1 | |
| Total | 1,059 | 392 | 277 | 390 | 37.0 | |||
Honours
Player Achievements
Norwich City
- Football League Cup: 1984–85
- Football League Second Division: 1985–86
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96
- FA Cup: 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96
- Football League Cup: 1991–92
- FA Charity Shield: 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1990–91
- European Super Cup: 1991
Individual Awards
- Premier League 10 Seasons Awards Domestic Team of the Decade
- PFA Team of the Year: Division Two (1985–86), Division Three (1982–83, 1983–84)
- Gillingham Player of the Season: 1979–80, 1981–82
- Norwich City Player of the Season: 1984–85
- Birmingham City Player of the Season: 1997–98
Manager Achievements
Birmingham City
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2006–07
- Football League First Division play-offs: 2002
Hull City
- FA Cup runner-up: 2013–14
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2012–13
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2016
Individual Awards
- Premier League Manager of the Month: April 2021
- EFL League One Manager of the Month: September 2024
See also
In Spanish: Steve Bruce para niños
