As of writing this, Kyle Bartley has just retired on the eve of the new Championship season. It comes soon after Bartley’s contract extension and serious knee injury. A long-term figure in the Albion dressing room, Bartley bows out with 232 appearances in 7 years at the club.
This comes as a shock to the fans and causes complications for the club, which was seemingly negotiating a sale of Torbjorn Heggem for a hefty profit. With Bartley sadly retiring, this leaves the club with only four first-team options at the back for the opening game. It is also a possibility that by the second game of the season, the club will only have three…
It must go without saying that this would’ve been a very difficult decision for Kyle Bartley, who has outlasted countless managers at the club. The towering centre back has surely cemented himself as an icon at the club and has enjoyed a long and fruitful career.
An Icon’s Early Days
Stockport-born centre-back Kyle Bartley began his youth career with Bolton Wanderers before signing for Premier League giants Arsenal. Eventually, he would become the captain of Arsenal Reserves and be part of the team that went on to win the FA Youth Cup in 2009.
In the same year, Bartley would make his senior team debut for Arsenal in the Champions League. Sadly, it was a defeat, but Bartley played the full 90 minutes. He would spend the final three months of the season out on loan with Sheffield United, where he featured 14 times for the Blades.
This resulted in the Blades picking him up for the following 2010/11 season. However, Bartley suffered a broken cheekbone in a game against Nottingham Forest and by the time January came around, he requested his loan be cancelled after the arrival of another centre-back.
Heading North of the Border
For the second half of the season, Kyle Bartley was sent out on loan to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. He featured five times for Rangers, including a 1-0 over St Mirren in which Bartley scored his first senior goal of his career. Bartley also played in the Europa League but sadly picked up a serious injury against PSV Eindhoven.
As a result of this untimely injury, Kyle was sidelined for Rangers’ cup final against Celtic, where they won and lifted the trophy. He also sadly missed the final run-in of the season in which Rangers lifted the Premiership trophy. Still, Bartley played his part, albeit a small one, in helping them secure the Scottish Premiership title.
Bartley returned to Arsenal, determined to return to Rangers and did so for the following 2011/12 season. He would feature 19 times in the league and twice in the Scottish FA Cup. Bartley would return to Arsenal after an uneventful second spell at the Scottish giants.
From Scotland to Wales
In 2012, Swansea City signed Bartley for a fee in the region of £1 million for their second season in England’s top flight. Bartley would make his debut in a 3-1 victory over Barnsley in the second round of the League Cup. Swansea would go on to win the League Cup, beating Bradford City in the final.
The following season, Bartley would go out on loan after struggling to break into the Swans’ first team. Birmingham City took a chance on the young defender for their Championship campaign. After 19 games and 3 goals in the Championship, Bartley was recalled by Swansea for the remainder of the season.
He would continue to struggle for game time during his time in Wales, never featuring more than 10 times in two full seasons with the Swans. It wasn’t until the 2016/17 season that things started to change for the better…
Marching on Together!
Garry Monk, Bartley’s former manager at Swansea, would sign the player on a season-long loan for his new club Leeds United. During his time there, Bartley would have his best season yet, featuring 50 times and scoring 6 goals.
As well as playing regularly, Bartley was also bestowed with the captain’s armband on many occasions, whenever Liam Bridcutt was unavailable. He excelled with his performances at the back and featured in the EFL Team of the Week on two separate occasions.
Sadly, Leeds United would miss out on the playoffs, and Bartley would return to his parent club, Swansea, at the expiration of his loan contract. He enjoyed his time at the club but was keen to force his way into Swansea’s starting eleven for the 2017/18 season. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be the case…
The End of an Era…
The 2017/18 season would be something of a miserable time for Bartley, who returned to the club determined to secure his place in the starting line-up. An injury-ridden season would see Bartley feature only 12 times, in all competitions.
That same season, Swansea City were also relegated. Kyle Bartley was sidelined for much of this and could only watch as they slid back down into the Championship. It was starting to become apparent that Bartley’s move to Swansea, simply put, hadn’t worked out.
Luckily for Kyle, another newly relegated team was in the market for a leading Championship defender…
…And Another Begins!
Rumoured to be around the £4 million mark, Bartley made a big move to fellow relegated team West Bromwich Albion. Under legendary Baggies defender Darren Moore, Bartley would feature 34 times in a season that saw the Albion lose on penalties to Midlands rivals Aston Villa in the playoffs.
The following season, Kyle Bartley would be a standout performer and leader in Slaven Bilic’s Albion side. Playing in 40 games, Bartley’s Baggies would earn automatic promotion alongside former club Leeds United.
Finally, after years of injuries, Bartley had his chance at playing in the Premier League. With a lockdown in full effect, the Baggies faced an unprecedented Premier League season played almost entirely behind closed doors. As a result, the squad was hardly strengthened as the promotion money was mainly used to fund the club’s operations.
A Star Of The Hawthorns
The 2020/21 Premier League season was extremely difficult for the Albion, and they saw themselves eventually relegated back to the Championship without much of a fight. However, Kyle Bartley became a crucial player, featuring for much of the season under two very different full-time managers.
Slaven Bilic usually opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation but occasionally played a more conservative 5-4-1. Bartley was always a mainstay for Bilic’s side, and this didn’t change when Sam Allardyce was brought in halfway through the campaign. Allardyce opted for a 4-3-3 or 5-4-1, and again, Kyle Bartley played a majority of these games.
He played 30 of the 38 Premier League games, scoring three times. His most successful Premier League season unfortunately ended in relegation and further uncertainty at West Bromwich Albion…
Uncertain Times Ahead…
With their relegation to the Championship, West Bromwich Albion found themselves in search of a new full-time manager. For the 2021/22 season, Valerian Ishmael would take the reins. The Frenchmen never deviated from their favoured 5-2-3 formation. As a result, Bartley saw himself once again, a mainstay of Albion’s defence.
Even though Ishmael lost his job before the season was through, Bartley still made regular appearances under new manager Steve Bruce. West Brom slumped to a midtable finish, despite a strong start to the season, and Bartley played in 39 of their games.
Next season would be a very troubling one for Bartley and the club as a whole. Dealing with a string of injuries, Bartley only managed 13 appearances during the 2022/23 season. Early on, the Albion were languishing in the relegation zone before Carlos Corberan replaced Steve Bruce to steady the ship.
The Corberan Era
Many at the club thought that Kyle Bartley’s time might be up at the Hawthorns. The Albion were blessed with a large array of quality centre-backs to choose from. Semi Ajayi, Dara O’shea and even the resurgent Cedric Kipre, after a promising loan move to Cardiff, were seen as being ahead of Bartley in the pecking order.
However, this was at a time when West Bromwich Albion was under very poor ownership. As a result, Dara O’Shea was sold to Burnley, purely to keep the club afloat for another season. Interestingly, Corberan also opted to utilise Kyle Bartley in the majority of the games across the campaign.
Bartley played 38 times across the 2023/24 season, often partnered with Cedric Kipre, in a season which saw the Baggies once again experience heartache in the semi-finals of the playoffs. Although Kyle Bartley boasted a very impressive 4 goals across the season.
The Last Dance
West Bromwich Albion entered the 2024/25 season able to sign players. The new ownership steadied the ship and worked hard to ensure the club ran smoothly. This resulted in Kyle Bartley being joined by a new centre-back partner. Torbjorn Heggem joined the club for a measly six-figure fee.
Kyle Bartley played 31 times whilst Heggem featured 45 times. When these two lined up at the back together, the Albion were at their best defensively. Apart from Burnley, the Baggies boasted the best defensive record, and it’s thanks to the brilliance of these two.
Dominant in the air last season, Bartley won 75.2% of his aerials per 90. That’s 3.76 headers won per 90 minutes. Only six feet, six inches tall, Harry Souttar had a higher percentage of aerials won per 90. He was also extremely confident on the ball, taking a lot of touches and playing out from the back on many occasions.
Unfortunately, despite another stellar season in the Championship. Bartley had rotten luck with injuries that kept him out of the tail end of the season. The Baggies missed out on the playoffs, and the season was over. Bartley did receive a contract extension, which offered some insight into his future with the club, heading into the summer…
Farewell to a Baggies Icon
As already mentioned, Kyle Bartley has been forced to retire due to a knee injury. This comes after he took part in the preseason preparation. A huge blow before a ball had even been kicked for the 2025/26 season.
Bartley was sure to be another key player this season, even if his playing time was limited with the arrival of Nat Phillips. Caleb Taylor, academy graduate, would’ve benefited from Bartley’s tutorship in his maiden season with the first team.
Bartley’s legacy is clear to see. He spent 7 years at the club, under two different ownerships, playing for six permanent managers and clinching one sweet promotion. All 6 of these managers saw the benefit of having Kyle on their side, and he has cemented his place as an icon at the club.
Thank you for your service, and enjoy your well-deserved retirement.
Kyle Bartley, Kyle Bartley, Kyle Bartley Balon d’or.
