D.O.B. :28/09/1984
Place of Birth :Norwich
Place of Death :Norwich
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Alexander Stephen "Alex" Bruce (born September 28, 1984 in Norwich) is an Irish footballer who currently plays for Ipswich Town.
A central defender who occasionally plays in midfield, he is the son of Steve Bruce — former Manchester United player and current manager of Wigan Ath.
Club career
Released by Manchester United's Academy at age 16,Bruce moved to Blackburn as a trainee. He signed his first professional contract there in 2002, and was part of their under-19 team which won the FA Premier Academy League in 2002-03.He made his first team debut on December 26, 2004 against Hartlepool United, whilst on three months' loan to League One Oldham Athletic, and was part of the team that beat Manchester City in the FA Cup on January 8, 2005. He signed on a free transfer for Birmingham City, where his father was manager, on January 27, 2005,shortly after Robbie Savage's controversial move in the opposite direction.
Immediately after concluding his spell at Oldham, he was loaned out to Sheffield Wednesday until the season's end, and was instrumental in their rise to the play-offs. Having impressed Tranmere Rovers boss Brian Little during the Rovers' trip to Oldham, Little swooped for a loan deal which encompassed the first half of the 2005-06 season, but the loan was terminated early by mutual consent.
Bruce made a few appearances for Birmingham following his return, but could not stop the club being relegated to the Championship. It was felt that accusations of nepotism were hindering his progress, so it was decided that in the best interests of club, manager and player Bruce should pursue his career away from his father's management.
Ipswich Town
In the summer of 2006 Alex moved to Ipswich Town on a free transfer, signing a three-year contract.
After a successful start to his Ipswich career, he has accumulated 10 bookings, and faces a 2 match ban.
International career
Qualifying through his Irish grandmother, Bruce was eligible for international football for both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as England, where he was born. He was called up by Northern Ireland U21s, but opted to play for the Republic of Ireland U21 instead, and made his debut for the team against Sweden in February 2006.
He also represented Republic of Ireland B against Scotland B in November 2006.
On May 23, 2007 he made his full international debut in a friendly match against Ecuador played at Giants Stadium, New Jersey.
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Debut: 23 May 2007 v Ecuador
Clubs:Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Ipswich Town
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