| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Brunt | ||
| Date of birth | 14 December 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) [1] | ||
| Playing position | Left Winger/Attacking Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2004 | Middlesbrough | 0 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | 6 | (2) |
| 2004–2007 | Sheffield Wednesday | 137 | (22) |
| 2007– | West Bromwich Albion | 159 | (31) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2002–2003 | Northern Ireland U19 | 8 | (3) |
| 2005–2006 | Northern Ireland U21 | 2 | (1) |
| 2005 | Northern Ireland U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 2004– | Northern Ireland | 36 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:59, 22 December 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Christopher Brunt (born 14 December 1984 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion. He plays as a left winger and more recently an attacking midfield position. He is also the Albion captain.
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Brunt grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he attended Newtownbreda Primary School. He then went on to study at Wellington College, a grammar school in Belfast. As a youth player he appeared for Saint Andrews Boys Club.[2]
Brunt had trials with both professional teams Manchester United and Middlesbrough, eventually signing for Middlesbrough, but he failed to break into the first team.
He moved to Sheffield Wednesday in March 2004 on an initial short-term deal. A permanent free transfer followed soon after as Brunt signed a two-year contract at Wednesday.[3] In 2004–05, his first full season at the club, Brunt helped Wednesday achieve promotion to the Championship by scoring five goals. In July 2005 he agreed a one-year extension to his existing contract.[4]
He went on to hit seven goals the following season, finishing the campaign as the club's top goalscorer. During the 2006–07 campaign Brunt passed the 100 appearance mark for Wednesday, making him the club's most experienced player at the time. His impressive displays during the 2006–07 season Brunt linked with a move away from Hillsborough. With only one year remaining on his contract, negotiations between Brunt and Wednesday broke down in July 2007, due to what the club described as 'excessive wage demands'.[5]
West Bromwich Albion had a bid accepted for Brunt on 14 August 2007.[6] They completed the signing the next day, in a £3 million four-year deal, which includes £500,000 of performance-related add-ons.[7] Brunt made his Albion debut as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 home win over Barnsley on 1 September 2007.[8] He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 victory away at Scunthorpe United on 22 September 2007.[9] Brunt's performance in the 3–0 home win against Plymouth Argyle on 1 March 2008 saw him named in the Championship Team of the Week.[10] On 28 April 2008 Brunt scored a late equalising goal against Southampton in a 1–1 draw; this effectively secured Albion's promotion to the Premier League because of their superior goal difference.[11] He went on to score the free-kick in West Brom's 2–0 win over QPR that sealed automatic promotion.[12] Brunt was the club's top scorer in the 2008–09 season, scoring eight goals. Following the club's relegation, Brunt then signed a new three-year deal at the club. In the 2009/10 season, he once again helped the club reach the highest tier of English football, scoring the second goal in a 3–2 win over Doncaster, which sealed the club's Premier League status. In January 2011 Brunt was made the stand-in captain of West Bromwich Albion as the manager decided to drop old club captain Scott Carson. When the new manager came in February 2011, he confirmed that he had made Brunt the permanent captain for the club.
Brunt has won 33 caps for the Northern Ireland national team. He scored his first goal for his country in February 2009, when his free-kick helped Northern Ireland to a 3–0 victory over San Marino.
Brunt became a father for the first time on 1 May 2008, when his wife Cathy gave birth to a baby boy named Charlie. The couple then welcomed a second child, Zach David Brunt, on 18th April 2011.[13][14]
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