Lee Bradbury

Lee Michael Bradbury was born on July 3, 1975, in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. His early career took an unconventional path, joining the British Army at 16 and serving as a frontline rifleman in the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment in Northern Ireland for two years. He was honorably discharged to pursue a professional football career, joining Portsmouth in 1995. After a loan spell at Exeter City, where he scored five goals in 14 appearances in the 1995-96 season, he returned to Portsmouth and was named the club’s Player of the Season for the 1996-97 campaign, scoring 17 goals in 49 games. This performance led to a club-record £3 million transfer to Manchester City in July 1997, where he played 40 games and scored 10 goals before moving to Crystal Palace for £1.5 million in October 1998. He continued his playing career with a second spell at Portsmouth, as well as stints at Walsall, Oxford United, Southend United, and AFC Bournemouth, accumulating 105 goals in 572 league and cup games over 16 years. He won the Football League One title with Southend United in 2005-06 and secured promotion from League Two with AFC Bournemouth in 2009-10.

Bradbury transitioned into management, taking over AFC Bournemouth as caretaker manager in January 2011 and then permanently. He led them to a sixth-place finish in the 2010-11 League One season. Following his departure in March 2012, he managed Havant & Waterlooville from October 2012 to April 2019, achieving significant success by winning the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2016-17 and the National League South title in 2017-18. After a brief spell at Eastbourne Borough and serving as assistant head coach at Crawley Town, he returned to management at Eastleigh in February 2022. In 2024-25, he served as a First-Team Coach at Port Vale, contributing to their promotion from League Two.

In June 2025, Bradbury was appointed manager of National League South club Dagenham & Redbridge, signaling a new chapter in his extensive football career. His career has been marked by a depth of experience across various levels of English football, both as a player and a manager. He acquired his UEFA A License in 2013 and earned accolades such as Conference South Manager of the Month in March 2013 and Isthmian League Manager of the Year in 2016-17. His personal journey, including overcoming PTSD and launching a clothing brand for mental health awareness, adds another dimension to his professional profile.