Harvey Bradbury : "I want to make a name for myself!"

Milwall player and striker Harvey Bradbury talks about his footballing path with Portsmouth, playing his ex-club Watford FC and how a teacher loved about his dream to be a footballer. This is what he had to say...

Q: First of all, could you summarise your career so far as you have been at some prestigious clubs?

A: My career so far has been one full of ups and downs, starting at Portsmouth FC and being released at the end of my scholarship then signing a professional contract at premier league club Watford , this was just the start of a crazy couple of seasons for me.

Q: At Woking, you come on against your ex-club Watford FC in the FA Cup, what was like testing your ability against the likes of Troy Deeney, Nathaniel Chalobah and Tom Cleverley?

A: The FA cup run was one of the best experiences of my career, getting Watford in the 3rd round was obviously massive for me on a personal note and massive for the club, I knew all the lads from my time before at Watford so it was strange to play against them but a great experience, I probably should of scored too!

Q: A question that may be obvious to some people, when you set out in your football career and may still be your goal. Did you want to eclipse your dad’s achievement's or are you more reserved and not worried about it just pathing your own path?

A: To be honest, I don’t really look into anything my dad has done too much and try and do the same, I just concentrate on myself and my own career, my Dad has obviously had a unbelievable career but I’d take half of it in a heartbeat, I want to make a name for myself and not to just be remembered as ‘Lee Bradbury’s son’

Q: What has been your career highlight so far. Was it your football league debut for Oxford United FC?

A: My Oxford United debut in the league was something I’ll never forget, it was an unbelievable experience and It was something I had worked towards since I was 5 years old, I was probably unlucky not to get a few more games but the couple of months I was in the first team was the best experience of my footballing career.

Q: Do you have many close friends in football?

A: I have loads of close friends in football, football mates are like no other the bond and the banter is something you can’t beat, I’m still very close to Theo Widdrington from my scholarship days at Portsmouth. Frank Fielding is probably my closest friend at Millwall, he looks after me and has helped me settle in. We have both been coming back from injuries so we’ve been pushing each other and keeping each other going, the physio room can be a lonely place but he’s helped me get to the other side and I’d like to think I’ve helped him too.

Q: What sort of striker do you feel like doing best? Is it being on the shoulder of the defence or do you like holding the ball up and bringing your teams mates into play?

A: As a striker I’d like to think I am a bit old school, I will run around and stick a naughty challenge in here and there if needed, I will hold the ball up for my team and run the channels but there’s no better feeling than hitting the back of the net, it’s a buzz than you can’t get from anything else, I know I’m judged on goals so any chance I get to shoot I try it.

Q: Currently at Millwall in their U23s, how has it gone so far?

A: Millwall has been great for me so far, I started very strongly for the u23s and was starting to be a regular trainer with the first team before picking up an injury that I am just recovering from now, I’m looking to get back fully fit and push to get a new contract and be taken more seriously as a first team player.

Q: What advice would you give to any inspiring footballers in academies, maybe something someone has said to you?

A: My only advice to younger players is to never ever give up and that you are never too old too make it, I didn’t get scouted till I was about 16 and I remember my maths teacher laughing at me when I said I wanted to be a professional footballer, I was 14 so I was in year 10 and she was asking the pupils what they wanted to do, when it come to me i said I wanted to be a footballer and she laughed and said ‘don’t be so silly', you would of been scouted by now’ I’ll never forget that and it’ll stick with me forever.

Q: How would Harvey Bradbury like to be remembered on and off the pitch?

A: I’d like to be remembered as someone that leaves everything on the pitch and off the pitch I’d like to be a role model for younger players to look up to!

Thank you to Harvey for taking his time out to answer our questions, his story

is one of inspiration, that if anyone has a dream they can go and achieve it!