3 min read
20th Oct 2022
Captaining your country at any level is always a proud moment, which was certainly the case for Makenzie Bradbury who recently had that honour, and not for the first time.
The Wolves Academy midfielder wore the armband for Wales under-16s as the Dragons went head-to-head with France earlier this month.
An international double-header saw Bradbury lead his nation out in Paris under the watchful eye of under-18s assistant coach James McPike.
There have been opportunities aplenty for Bradbury whose performances beyond his years earned him an under-18s debut at the age of just 14 last season. The youngster has been recognised and rewarded by not only the old gold, but also his country for whom Bradbury has previously starred for and captained at an earlier level.
Despite 3-0 and 3-1 defeats against France, McPike was impressed with Bradbury whose performance in the heart of the midfield pleased the Wolves coach.
“I thought it was a challenging game for Wales.” he said. “France were a big and competitive side, but Macca showed real bravery to get on the ball.
“He played forward and got front facing, which is something that the coaches across the academy are trying to encourage him to do more often because he has a great range of passing.
“He did really well and was competitive against a big, physical side. He was captain so showed great leadership and was trying to get his boys to dig in.
“It was great to see him in a different context, in an international environment and see him show bravery on that stage.
“It’s a credit to the work that’s going on in the academy from the pre-academy programme right up to the under-21s. There’s some real quality, detailed work going on with these players throughout the academy and you’re seeing the rewards from it.”
Wes Hughes, under 15/16 youth phase lead coach, works closely with Bradbury on a day-to-day basis at Compton Park and has added that it comes as no surprise to see the midfielder continue to thrive.
“He’s a boy who represents our values as a club,” said Hughes. “His work ethic is top drawer and he wants to get better all the time.
“Makenzie is a very inquisitive player. He wants to know more and wants clarity of what you want from him, and he’ll try to execute that whilst also enjoying freedom to experiment.
“He’s a grounded kid and his family do a great job with him, which will keep his feet firmly on the floor. That’s one of the big things for me – having that support and understanding your own family values.
“I’ve been to one of his Wales camps before and it’s no surprise that he’s cracking on by getting even more recognition with the captain’s armband.
“Some of his qualities are beyond his years and others he probably needs to get better at, but it’s a proud moment for us who work with him on a day-to-day basis.”
Next up on the international stage for Bradbury is the Victory Shield at the end of October with Wales under-16s facing Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
