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Sunderland didn't really want Bridges to leave, but with his contract entering its last year, they allowed him to talk to Spurs - the club he later claimed he supported as a boy. The boyhood sentiment didn't sway his apprehension of moving to the south and it was long suspected he'd set his heart on a move to Leeds United.
That was were he was to head as Bridges signed for the Elland Road club in a £5million deal from Sunderland at the beginning of 1999/00, after growing frustrated with his inability to break into the first team ahead of Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips. He quickly established himself as a fans' favourite with a hat trick in only his second appearance in a Leeds shirt.
He was soon turning in some impressive performances, and proved a vital addition to the squad with his ability to hold the ball up and deceptive turn of pace. Bridges went on to score over 20 goals in his first season at Elland Road and was a key player for Leeds in their European campaign. His reward was to become a regular in the England under-21 squad, and started the opening match of the European Championships against Slovakia.
The fairytale was soon to end though as a succession of career-threatening injuries would ruin Michael’s game from then on. The 24-year-old's injury problems started when he was stretchered off with an ankle and achilles problem in a Champions League tie against Besiktas in October 2000.
Bridges made his comeback from that injury when he played the last 30 minutes of a reserve match, ironically against Sunderland, in a Leeds win that stopped the Wearsiders winning the second-string title, on 10 May 2001.
The striker complained of a knee twinge shortly afterwards just as he was attempting to return to full-time training and would again be well of short any return to top flight football as he spent time on the treatment table.
In September of that year it was reported that Bridges was suffering complications to his knee problems and might not appear on the first-team pitch in the whole of the 2001-02 season as he visited a top American surgeon for a determination on what to do next. An operation wasn’t required at that stage but the Wearsider was unable to shake the injury off and was forced to go under the knife to try and rectify the problem in November of 2001 meaning yet more rehabilitation ahead.
Bridges restarted training in March 2002 as he looked to resurrect what had been a promising career. He finally made his long-awaited comeback at the end of the season on the 7th of May when he played for 15 minutes in Gary Kelly’s testimonial match against Celtic.
He was raring to go after 20 months in the wilderness and built up his fitness well in pre-season ready for the 2002-03 campaign which he started playing for the Yorkshire side’s reserves as he looked to get used to playing in matches again.
On 19th September 2002 Michael Bridges came on to a standing ovation from the Leeds fans in Elland Road as he came on as a substitute for Mark Viduka in a 1-0 UEFA Cup win over Metalurg Zaporizhzhya of the Ukraine. His first outing at that level went well for the striker but more reserves games and only fleeting substitute appearances for the first-team would follow as Bridges struggled to break up the partnership of Viduka and Alan Smith.
Heartbreak would soon appear again though for him as after just eight minutes of his first start of the campaign in a UEFA Cup tie against Malaga on December 12 Bridges caught his studs in the turf and ruptured his achilles tendon. He was now out for the season again just when he looked to be getting his stuttering career back on track.
Bridges returned to light training in April of 2003 as he spent more months of rehabilitation with the physiotherapist. The only bright spot through all of this for the striker was marrying his long-time girlfriend Kate in the North-East on the 25th of May 2003.
He appeared in a 2003-04 pre-season friendly against Hull on the 1st of August but again looked short of full fitness and had to wait until September 2003 to make yet another comeback in front of the Elland Road faithful in a 2-2 League Cup draw with Swindon.
More games in the reserves and cameo appearances from the bench followed for the second-string and first-team as Bridges fought his way back to full match fitness after more or less two and a half years out of the game.
Late 2003 was the time that Leeds United were in financial free-fall and they were desperate to get high wage earners from the Ridsdale contract era off the dwindling budget. Bridges had been linked with many clubs during his time at Elland Road but this time it was obvious he would be leaving Yorkshire.
With just a few months remaining on his contract, he was loaned out to Newcastle on deadline day in January 2004 until the end of the season. The North-East giants were challenging for a Champions League spot, but Bridges didn't get much of a look in until the very end of the season when an injury crisis built up to biblical proportions. By the end of the campaign it was no surprise to see Newcastle fail to make an offer to take him on permanently after he had only made one start for the Toon in the UEFA Cup against Valarenga of Norway.
With his contract due to expire with Leeds, it was announced that Bolton had agreed terms to take him on the 9th of June 2004 as Bridges signed on a year's contract with an option of another 12 months. His time at Elland Road was wrecked by injuries and after spending five years with the Yorkshire club he had only made 61 appearances (plus 21 as a substitute), scoring 21 goals in the process.
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce gave Bridges little chance to prove himself in the Premiership with the Trotters though and before he could make an appearance for Wanderers he was loaned out back to Sunderland. It was an emotional time for Bridges as he returned to the club where it had all started for him almost nine years earlier.
In a three-month loan spell with the Wearsiders he impressed sufficiently to earn himself a permanent contract, and in December 2004, the deal was done as he signed until the end of the season, with an option of a further year.
It was during Michael’s loan spell with Sunderland that he scored for the first time in four and a half years in a competitive match as he bagged a late winner for the Mackems at Stoke City. One of the longest goal droughts in history for a striker was finally over, his last goal had come in a 1-1 home draw with Everton on the 8th of May 2000. His next one was in that Stoke fixture on the 27th of November 2004.
Although Bridges found it hard to cement a starting place in a Championship winning side, he made numerous appearances from the bench. When the Wearsiders finally clinched their place in the Premiership, Michael collected his third winners’ medal with Sunderland.
The striker had scored a lot of goals for the Mackems reserve outfit in that season and there were plenty of clubs interested in signing a player that had been a rising Premiership star just five years earlier if they could agree a deal.
It was on Saturday the 23rd of July 2005 that Michael Bridges completed his move to Bristol City as he joined Brian Tinnion’s club and signed a one-year contract at Ashton Gate. The Robins also had an option to keep the striker, who was still only 26, for a further 12 months.
Bridges failed to win a regular place in the City first-team though and his only goal in four appearances (with nine as a substitute) came against Barnet in the Carling Cup in August. His cause wasn't helped by the manager that signed him resigning from his post to be replaced by ex-Yeovil boss Gary Johnson who was keen to bring in his own new players.
So, that's where we come in, with Michael yesterday signing a loan deal with the Blues until the end of December in a move that could be made permanent.
Welcome to Cumbria Michael and the best of luck.
Appearances and goals :
Sunderland - from trainee on 9/11/95 - 41 starts, 51 as a substitute, 21 goals.
Leeds United - £4.5 million on 29/7/99 - 61 starts, 21 as a substitute, 21 goals.
Newcastle - loan on 31/1/04 - one start, eight as a substitute, zero goals.
Bolton - free on 9/6/04 - no appearances
Sunderland - loan on 24/9/04, free on 23/12/04 - five starts, 16 as a substitute, one goal.
Bristol City - free on 23/7/05 - four starts, nine as a substitute, one goal.
Carlisle United - loan on 15/11/05 - no appearances yet
Career total - 112 starts, 105 as a substitute, 44 goals.