Andy Bernal

{{Infobox football biography

| image =

| name = Andy Bernal

| fullname = Andrew Bernal

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1966|5|16}}

| birth_place = Canberra, Australia

| height = {{convert|1.78|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 = 1983–1985

| youthclubs1 = AIS

| years1 = 1985-1988

| years2 = 1985–1986

| years3 = 1986–1987

| years4 = 1988

| years5 = 1987–1988

| years6 = 1989–1994

| years7 = 1994–2000

| clubs1 = Sporting Gijon

| clubs2 = Albacete Balompié

| clubs3 = Xerez CD

| clubs4 = Nottingham Forest

| clubs5 = Ipswich Town

| clubs6 = Sydney Olympic

| clubs7 = Reading

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| caps2 = 23

| goals2 =

| caps3 = 38

| goals3 =

| caps4 = 0

| goals4 = 0

| caps5 = 9

| goals5 = 0

| caps6 = 113

| goals6 = 6

| caps7 = 187

| goals7 = 2

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 1990–1996

| nationalteam1 = Australia

| nationalcaps1 = 13

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Andrew Bernal (born 16 May 1966) is a former professional soccer defender and football pioneer who played in Australia, England, and Spain. He was later a football agent and personal manager for David Beckham.{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/22/1058853069566.html|title=Australian gets job as Beckham's amigo|last=Cockerill|first=Michael|date=23 July 2003|newspaper=The Age|accessdate=4 January 2010}} In 2021, he wrote and released his autobiography Riding Shotgun – The Original Wizard of Oz.{{Cite web |last=Colangelo |first=Anthony |date=2021-04-27 |title=Aussie's roller-coaster stint as Beckham's 'agent, manager and bodyguard' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/little-known-aussie-s-rise-and-fall-as-beckham-s-agent-manager-and-bodyguard-20210427-p57mpv.html |access-date=2023-01-14 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} He currently works for the A-League football club Central Coast Mariners as Head of Athletic Development. In 2023 he released his second book The Vibe Manager an inside look at the 2023 A-League Champions.

Early life

Bernal was born in 1966 in Canberra to Spanish-born parents.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-24 |title=The Belsouth Boy who made it Big |url=https://capitalfootball.com.au/the-belsouth-boy-who-made-it-big/ |access-date=2023-01-26 |publisher=Capital Football |language=en-AU}}

Playing career

=Club career=

After graduating from the Australian Institute of Sport, Bernal became the first Australian to play for a La Liga club when he joined Sporting Gijon.{{Cite news |last=Gaskin |first=Lee |date=2015-07-24 |title=Former Socceroo Andy Bernal, the first Australian to play in Spain, on Mat Ryan's move to Valencia |language=en |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/former-socceroo-andy-bernal-the-first-australian-to-play-in-spain-on-mat-ryans-move-to-valencia-20150723-giimsu.html |access-date=2023-01-14}} Gijon had intended to play him in their youth teams, however, as an Australia underage representative, he was classified as a foreigner, meaning he was not eligible.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122420712 |title=Times Sport Bernal's soccer career in jeopardy |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=60 |issue=18,367 |location=Australian Capital Territory|date=14 January 1986 |accessdate=26 January 2023 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}} He went on to play almost 100 games of Spanish club football whilst on loan to Albacete Balompié and Xerez. Faced with compulsory military service as a Spanish citizen, Bernal chose to leave Spain and signed for Ipswich Town in September 1987. Returning to England from an Australian holiday, it was found that Bernal was playing on a student holiday visa and his English stint was cut shot.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101989322 |title=Bernal shoots for Socceroo spot |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=62 |issue=19,247 |location=Australian Capital Territory|date=17 June 1988 |accessdate=26 January 2023 |page=16 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{Cite news |last=Dasey |first=Jason |date=1988-01-23 |title=Bernal's real goal is to play for Australia |pages=284 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117279884/bernals-real-goal-is-to-play-for/ |access-date=2023-01-26}}{{Cite news |last=Cockerill |first=Michael |date=1989-01-12 |title=Bernal's return home is a passport to the future |pages=46 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117279761/bernals-return-home-is-a-passport-to/ |access-date=2023-01-26}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122413848 |title=Bernal picks England |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=62 |issue=19,053 |location=Australian Capital Territory|date=4 December 1987 |accessdate=26 January 2023 |page=26 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In August 1988, Bernal signed with the Sydney Olympic ahead of the 1989 National Soccer League.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102041094 |title=Bernal debuts with Olympic |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=62 |issue=19,295 |location=Australian Capital Territory|date=4 August 1988 |accessdate=26 January 2023 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 1994, he joined English team Reading in England for a reported £30,000 fee.{{Cite news |last=Baskerville |first=Clive |date=1994-11-11 |title=Wages soak up income |pages=74 |work=Reading Evening Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117279673/wages-soak-up-income/ |access-date=2023-01-26}} He was part of the Reading team that narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the 1994–95 season.{{Cite news |last=Baskerville |first=Clive |date=1995-05-30 |title=So near yet so far |pages=30 |work=Reading Evening Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117279914/so-near-yet-so-far/ |access-date=2023-01-26}} Bernal retired at the end of the 1999–2000 season, having made 187 league appearances.{{Hugman | 1463| accessdate = 26 January 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Josh |date=3 March 2021 |title=How ex-Socceroo Andy Bernal ended up working with David Beckham at Real Madrid |language=en |work=The Sporting News |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/football/news/how-ex-socceroo-andy-bernal-ended-up-working-with-david-beckham-at-real-madrid/8dhyx7g2vn4d1111ghwfx6jr2 |access-date=2023-01-26}}

=International career=

Bernal has also played for the Australian national team on 21 occasions between 1989 and 1996, 13 times in full international matches and eight in B internationals.{{Cite web |last=Manuca |first=David |date=2021-05-26 |title=From Canberra to Madrid: The incredible story of Andy Bernal |url=https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/the-incredible-story-of-andy-bernal |access-date=2023-01-14 |publisher=Football Australia |language=en}}

References

External links

[http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/B/BER.html#BernalAndrew OzFootball profile]
[https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/former-socceroo-andy-bernal-the-first-australian-to-play-in-spain-on-mat-ryans-move-to-valencia-20150723-giimsu.html Andy Bernal Interview]

Category:1966 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Canberra

Category:Soccer players from the Australian Capital Territory

Category:Australian people of Spanish descent

Category:Men's association football defenders

Category:Australian men's soccer players

Category:Australian expatriate men's soccer players

Category:Australia men's international soccer players

Category:La Liga players

Category:National Soccer League (Australia) players

Category:Albacete Balompié players