![]() Bruce playing for Hull City in 2014
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Alex Stephen Bruce | ||
Date of birth | 28 September 1984 | ||
Place of birth | Norwich, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
Playing position | Defender | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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Wigan Athletic (on loan from Hull City) |
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Number | 21 | ||
Youth career | |||
1998–2001 | Manchester United | ||
2001–2004 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2004–2005 | Blackburn Rovers | 0 | (0) |
2004–2005 | → Oldham Athletic (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2005–2006 | Birmingham City | 6 | (0) |
2005 | → Oldham Athletic (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2005 | → Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2005 | → Tranmere Rovers (loan) | 11 | (0) |
2006–2010 | Ipswich Town | 115 | (2) |
2010 | → Leicester City (loan) | 3 | (0) |
2010–2012 | Leeds United | 29 | (1) |
2011 | → Huddersfield Town (loan) | 3 | (0) |
2012– | Hull City | 85 | (1) |
2017– | → Wigan Athletic (loan) | 0 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2006 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 5 | (0) |
2006 | Republic of Ireland B | 1 | (0) |
2007–2008 | Republic of Ireland | 2 | (0) |
2013–2014 | Northern Ireland | 2 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:41, 31 January 2017 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:45, 22 March 2014 (UTC) |
Alex Stephen Bruce (born 28 September 1984) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Championship club Wigan Athletic on loan from Hull City. He has also played as a holding midfielder on occasion. The son of the former Hull City manager and former Manchester United defender Steve Bruce, he has also played for Ipswich Town and Leeds United, among others.
Born and raised in England, Bruce has played twice for the Northern Ireland national team, for which he declared himself available in 2011 and made his debut in 2013. He had previously made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland in 2007–08, but was allowed to switch under FIFA eligibility rules as these had been in friendly matches.
Bruce was born in Norwich, Norfolk, but moved to the Greater Manchester area at the age of three when his father, centre-back Steve Bruce, was transferred from Norwich City to Manchester United. He joined the Manchester United Academy, but was released at age 16 and moved to Blackburn Rovers as a trainee. He signed his first professional contract there in 2002, and was part of their under-19 team that won the FA Premier Academy League in 2002–03. He made his first-team debut on 26 December 2004 against Hartlepool United, while on three months' loan to League One club Oldham Athletic, and was part of the Oldham team that beat Manchester City in the FA Cup on 8 January 2005. He signed on a free transfer for Birmingham City, where his father was manager, on 27 January 2005.