About Phil Bardsley

Phillip Anthony Bardsley (born 28 June 1985) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for EFL Championship club Burnley. He has played international football for the Scotland national team.

Bardsley began his career with Manchester United where he made 18 appearances in five seasons at the club. During that time, he was loaned to several clubs, including Royal Antwerp, Burnley, Rangers, Aston Villa and Sheffield United.

He joined Sunderland in January 2008 for an initial fee of £850,000. Bardsley established himself as a regular at the Stadium of Light under Steve Bruce and Martin O'Neill and he won the player of the year award in 2010–11. He lost his place in the team in 2012–13 after a falling-out with manager Paolo Di Canio, before returning to the first team under Gus Poyet. Under Poyet, Bardsley helped Sunderland to avoid relegation in 2013–14 and reach the 2014 Football League Cup Final, in which they lost 3–1 to Manchester City.

After his Sunderland contract expired in June 2014, Bardsley joined Stoke City on a free transfer. He spent three seasons with the club before joining Burnley in July 2017.