Ryan Bradley (Gaelic footballer)

Ryan Bradley
Bradley was ordered to "bulk up" by county manager Jim McGuinness prior to the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Position Left Half Forward
Born 1985 (age 39–40)
County Donegal
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Occupation Plasterer
Club(s)
Years Club Apps (scores)
?–201?
2005
2009
 Buncrana
Donegal Boston
Donegal Boston

1
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
2005–201?
 Donegal
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 2
All-Irelands 1
NFL 1

Ryan Bradley (born 1985) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Buncrana and the Donegal county team.

Considered an underage prodigy, he was reborn after Jim McGuinness took over as manager of Donegal and became regarded as "the poster boy for the new Donegal".[1][2] He emigrated to Abu Dhabi in 2013 after collecting one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and two Ulster Senior Football Championships.[3]

Playing career

Bradley made his debut for Donegal in the National Football League in 2005 when Brian McEniff was in charge.[4]

He transferred to Boston that summer to play for the Donegal club.[4][5]

Brian McIver brought him back into the fold for the 2007 National Football League campaign when Donegal won the title.[4] He continued his involvement with the team in 2008.[4]

Bradley was involved in the early part of 2009 and scored a goal in the final when Donegal won the 2009 Dr McKenna Cup.[4][6] However, becoming increasingly disillusioned, Bradley left again to pursue his career in Boston in 2009.[4]

Jim McGuinness telephoned him upon his appointment as Donegal manager in 2010 — Bradley would later say, "I talked to Jim once and after that conversation he had it drummed into my head. If I hadn't have come back after that phonecall I'd have been better just to give up football".[4] McGuinness would later write in his autobiography Until Victory Always: A Memoir: "Ryan ran the roads seven days a week. He went out running when every muscle in his body was screaming for rest. Usually he put up eight or ten kilometres in the morning so he could burn fat. And he went from fifteen and a half stone to thirteen stone six".[3]

Bradley made his first Ulster Senior Football Championship start against Antrim in May 2011. He scored two points during the game and The Sunday Game gave him their man-of-the-match award. TV pundit Pat Spillane controversially claimed Bradley was "the best of a bad bunch".[4] McGuinness reacted furiously, calling Spillane's comments "way over the top".[7] In July 2011, Bradley became the first man from Buncrana to help Donegal to an Ulster title.[4] He scored a point in the final against Derry.[8] He won the Ulster title again the following season, scoring a point in the final for the second consecutive year, this time against Down.[9] He later played in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final as Donegal defeated Mayo.[10] Donegal won.[11]

Against Down in the 2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship he was concussed and received hospital treatment.[12][13] In August 2013, he announced he was transferring to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.[14][15][3]

Personal life

Bradley is a plasterer by trade.[14] He is a past pupil of Crana College.[16] He is married to Claire Sheerin, a cousin of Donegal teammate Michael Murphy.[4] He is not fond of the media spotlight.[4]

Honours

Donegal
Individual
  • GAA GPA Player of the Month: July 2012[18]

References

  1. ^ Campbell, Peter (23 August 2011). "Bradley buying into the new system". Donegal Democrat. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
  2. ^ Boyle, Donnchadh (9 August 2012). "Bradley revelling in new role as Donegal poster boy". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c McNulty, Chris (14 August 2017). "Ryan Bradley tells Donegal's emerging starts to 'stick with it'". Retrieved 14 August 2017. Bradley won the All-Ireland in 2012 and two Ulster titles with Donegal before emigrating to Abu Dhabi in the autumn of 2013... Bradley has kept a close eye on things from afar...
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k McNulty, Chris (25 August 2011). "Ryan Bradley: "We never give up"". Inishowen Independent. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  5. ^ "Donegal Boston come of age". Hogan Stand. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Donegal 2-12 Queen's University 0-11 (AET)". RTÉ Sport. 25 January 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  7. ^ "Angry Donegal manager turns on RTÉ pundits for poking fun at the county". Donegal Daily. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Donegal 1–11 Derry 0-08". RTÉ Sport. 17 July 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  9. ^ a b "Ulster Senior Football Final: Donegal 2-18 0-13 Down". BBC Sport. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Live updates from the All-Ireland finals at Croke Park". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  11. ^ a b "Donegal 2-11 Mayo 0-13". RTÉ Sport. 23 September 2012. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  12. ^ "The hits are bigger than ever… but what is the GAA doing to manage concussion?". The42.ie. 3 August 2013. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  13. ^ Roche, Frank (29 July 2013). "McGuinness hits out at physical impact". Evening Herald. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Ryan Bradley to leave Donegal for Abu Dhabi". Highland Radio. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  15. ^ "Double blow for Donegal". Hogan Stand. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  16. ^ "Picture special as Ryan brings Sam to Crana College". Donegal Daily. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013. Liam Galbraith Principal of Crana College welcomes All Ireland winning player and past pupil Ryan Bradley to the school on Thursday
  17. ^ Ferry, Ryan (23 April 2020). "McConigley reflects on 2007 National League success". Donegal News. pp. 52–3.
  18. ^ "Bradley is player of the month". Donegal Democrat. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.