Leeds' All Time Greats: No 2 Michael Bridges

Michael Bridges (1999-2004) 82 apps, 21 goals

Bridges deserves his place in this list because of the 21 goals he scored in his debut season and the sheer determination he showed during the injury hell that followed. Bridges could have been one of the best strikers in the club's history - he was the record signing when bought for £5 million and scored a memorable hat-trick at Southampton - but there was a meningitis scare, drilled bones and no end of failed comebacks. "You think, 'What the hell have I done to deserve this?' but I wasn't ever going to tie a knot in the ceiling and put my head in it," he told me. "I thought about people worse off than myself." When he scored for Carlisle United at Elland Road last year, it was hard not to feel happy for him and sad that he never achieved what he should have.

Personal information
Full name	Michael Bridges
Date of birth	5 August 1978 (1978-08-05) (age 31)
Place of birth	North Shields, Tyne and Wear, England
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Newcastle United Jets
Number	14
Youth career
1994-1995	Sunderland
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1995-1999 1999-2004 2004 2004 2004 2004-2005 2005 2005 2006 2006-2009 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009 2009-	Sunderland Leeds United → Newcastle United (loan) Bolton Wanderers → Sunderland (loan) Sunderland Bristol City → Carlisle United (loan) Carlisle United Hull City → Sydney FC (loan) → Carlisle United (loan) Milton Keynes Dons Newcastle United Jets	079 0(16) 056 0(19) 006 00(0) 000 00(0) 011 00(1) 008 00(0) 011 00(0) 007 00(3) 023 0(12) 022 00(2) 009 00(2) 030 00(7) 001 00(0) 010 00(6)
National team2
	England U18 England U21
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:39, 17 January 2010 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 12:58, 18 September 2008 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)