Meningitis, cancer, career-threatening injury and England - the inspirational comeback of gutsy Portsmouth starlet

Nudging his grandad, he pledged to find a way to fulfil his footballing dream.

Within five years, Alfie Bridgman had appeared for Pompey’s first-team.

The former Chelsea, Brighton and Southampton youth prospect had been told by surgeons it was unlikely he would be able to continue performing at a decent level.

With his right knee requiring two major operations, the former Purbrook Park School pupil was condemned to almost two-and-a-half years on the sidelines.

The gutsy Bridgman’s remarkable pathway into football saw him overcome meningitis, weight issues, and torn ligaments in his shoulder, while in December was given the all-clear following a long-standing cancer scare.

Then, at the age of 16 years, nine months and two days, the midfielder was granted an entrance from the Blues’ bench.

Mum Rachael sobbed, while dad Glenn choked back the emotion as the Crookhorn family gathered around their television to watch the first-year scholar’s outing against Peterborough in the Papa John’s Trophy earlier this month.

Timed at nine minutes, in footballing parlance this was a cameo. Nonetheless, it represented the culmination of a life-long battle against the odds.

‘It’s the same for every parent, you have to be strong, you can’t let your child see you are suffering for them,’ dad Glenn told The News.

‘We feared Alfie wouldn’t play again, especially with what he went through, but that has to remain behind closed doors, never around him.

‘You can’t show it. You’re fearing the worst, definitely, but you must try to stay positive with him, for his sake. Keep up his spirits, don’t let him see your concerns.

‘The injuries happened not long after signing for Pompey as an 11-year-old. Alfie snapped a cartilage in his knee while running on the grass at school. He wasn’t even playing football, just running.

‘It was a big operation. At first they wanted to carry out keyhole surgery, but couldn’t find the part of the cartilage which had come off, so had to cut him open and attach it back into place.

‘At the time, my wife was told by a specialist that it was unlikely Alfie would play a high level of football again. It was devastating.

‘He spent the next 12 weeks in a wheelchair, wearing a knee brace. Being so young they couldn’t risk him putting weight onto it, we had to push him around.

‘When he returned to football 18 months later, it wasn’t right. I could see something was very wrong, he was running with a limp.

‘A scan found that a bit of the cartilage had come off again, causing a sharp pain as it rubbed into the back of his knee. It required another operation.

‘In total, Alfie missed two years and three months of football through injury. He was a kid and that was taken away from him.

‘There was a real determination about him though, mentally he pushed himself through every setback.

‘When Havant schools players against Pompey schools at Fratton Park in 2015, our eldest son Stan was playing.

‘Alfie went along to watch. He was 11, in his wheelchair after the first operation, and sat in front of the Fratton end with his grandad Tom next to him.

‘During the game, he turned around and said “I want some of that”. Seeing his brother playing at Fratton Park inspired him.

‘From that day his attitude changed, there was a real positivity, you could see his determination to become a footballer.

‘Do you know what, it wasn’t until the age of 14 when he came back – and within three months was playing in Pompey’s under-16s.

‘Thankfully he has carried on up the ladder.’

Such was Bridgman’s prodigious talent, at the age of five he was a regular substitute for Pickwick under-7s.

During one tournament, he caught the attention of Chelsea and was soon training with the Premier League giants.

However, twice weekly travelling to Surrey locations for training took its toll, with the youngster subsequently moving to Southampton on schoolboy forms for two seasons.

Following his release at the end of an under-10s campaign, Brighton reacted swiftly to capture the services of the highly-regarded midfielder.

Yet, by the age of 10, Bridgman had pleaded with his parents for a break from the professional game to play Sunday League with his friends.

Glenn added: ‘I remember Alfie playing for Brighton against Chelsea and scoring twice. Afterwards he told me “Dad, I want to knock it on the head, I’m not enjoying it”.

‘There was too much pressure, too early. He was just a kid.

‘At the age of five he was with Chelsea. I don’t think he was the right player for them at the time and the travelling was awkward. At least Southampton was closer to home.

‘The day he was released by Southampton after two seasons, Brighton were that evening on the phone wanting Alfie to join them.

‘After three or four months, he told me he needed a break.

‘There’s nothing better when your son comes home and tells you “I’m loving doing this”. That’s what you want to hear, you want to know they’re enjoying themselves.

‘Alfie no longer felt like that. He had been playing too much high-level football at such a young age.

‘Coming home from school, getting into the car and driving off for training two or three times a week – that’s a lot of pressure on the kid.

‘Brighton said they’d wait for him, but after a couple of weeks he said “Dad, I want to leave it alone for a bit”. We were not going to push him.

‘Alfie took a bit of time out, he played a bit of football with his mates at grassroots with United Services for a bit of fun. Although it wasn’t for long, he ripped the tendons in his shoulder while taking a long throw-in, ruling him out for the season.

‘Then Pompey showed interest in him, offering a three-week trial, and he entered their under-11s, and enjoyed his football ever since.

‘The club have been absolutely brilliant with him, sticking by Alfie through his injuries and working with him for two years on his rehab, especially the physio James Morris.

‘He’s happy where he is, doing what he needs to do, he’s enjoying it. For me that’s the biggest thing – enjoyment.’

Bridgman’s progress continues to impress.

In August 2018, he was invited to attend an England under-15s summer camp held at Loughborough University.

The week-long stay consisted of a friendly against Port Vale’s under-16/17s side. Bridgman’s team would lose 4-2, yet he weighed in with a goal and an assist.

The family remain hopeful there will be other England interest. Regardless, it’s another memorable landmark for Alfie, who has overcome a procession of torrid setbacks since before the age of three.

As a toddler, he contracted meningitis, spending a week attached to a drip at QA Hospital, later diagnosed as the viral variant and making a full recovery.

According to Glenn, his son piled on two-and-a-half stone during his injury inaction, representing another hurdle the youngster has admirably cleared.

While in December, Alfie was given the all-clear after a cancer scare spanning several years.

His dad added: ‘He was at school one day and his brother pushed him over, causing Alfie to hurt his shoulder.

‘Come midnight, he was still crying his eyes out at home, so we took him to hospital and he had an X-ray. The nurse carrying it out said: “I’ve never seen that before”.

‘He had cysts in his shoulder bone, which was initially believed to be benign cancer. Luckily they were just cysts, but still required treatment, while the hospital monitored him.

‘Over two or three years, Alfie had to attend QA every three months for scans, checking they didn’t grow any bigger and weren’t cancerous.

‘Thankfully he was given the all-clear last month. The lad’s certainly been through it, but his determination shines through. He’s desperate to succeed.

‘I played football a long time ago, I was a schoolboy at Pompey and Southampton before going semi-pro with Bognor and Chichester.

‘My attitude wasn’t right, I have regrets. I didn’t want to train, all I was interested in was turning up to play. I was wrong.

‘I’ve told my boys that, whatever you do, don’t have any regrets. Give it absolutely everything and, if it doesn’t go right, at least you can say you’ve tried your best.

‘Fingers crossed they have listened.’

The Bridgman brothers occupied the same Pompey Academy team in October 2019 for an FA Youth Cup encounter with Hereford.

Afie’s entrance from the bench ensured he shared the pitch with his older brother for 13 minutes in a 5-1 triumph. A photograph taken of the pair after the final whistle inevitably hangs up at the family’s home as a proud reminder.

Released by Pompey last summer, Stan has spent time at Finnish third-tier side Pallo-lirot and is currently trialling with Northern Ireland club Larne.

As for Alfie, the first-year scholar is eyeing adding to that emotional Peterborough outing.

‘I am a great believer in fate, things happen for a reason, and that long-term injury changed his mindset, it helped him turn a corner,’ added Glenn.

‘Whereas before that time in the wheelchair he was so good he didn’t really care that much, Pompey are now telling me his mindset has become really impressive.

‘He wants to be the best trainer, he wants to be the quickest at the club, he has come on absolutely loads.

‘Alfie was on the bench for the Papa John’s Trophy game against West Ham under-21s in November for his first taste of the first-team.

‘He never got on, but told me just going into a changing room seeing his shirt hanging up with his name on it was enough for him. It was that feeling, tremendous.

‘There have been times when I’ve feared the worst for him, but during more than two years out injured he showed hard work, determination and an incredible mental strength. He could have given up.

‘Alfie’s trying to live out his dreams like every other kid. Hopefully he’s going to continue his journey.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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