Dom Bernard
{{Short description|Footballer (born 1997)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{use British English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Dom Bernard
|image =
|caption =
|fullname = Dominic Archie Bernard{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/efl-documents/efl-professional-retain-list--free-transfers---2017-18.pdf |title=Club list of registered players as at 19th May 2018 |publisher=The Football League |page=5 |accessdate=12 March 2019}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|3|29|df=y}}
|birth_place = Gloucester, England
|position = Defender
|currentclub = Yeovil Town
|clubnumber = 33
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 = Tredworth Tigers
|youthyears2 = 2009–2018
|youthclubs2 = Birmingham City
|years1 = 2018–2019
|clubs1 = Birmingham City
|caps1 = 0
|goals1 = 0
|years2 = 2018–2019
|clubs2 = → Aldershot Town (loan)
|caps2 = 35
|goals2 = 0
|years3 = 2019–2024
|clubs3 = Forest Green Rovers
|caps3 = 158
|goals3 = 1
|years4 = 2024–
|clubs4 = Yeovil Town
|caps4 = 30
|goals4 = 1
|nationalyears1 = 2013
|nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland U17
|nationalcaps1 = 2
|nationalgoals1 = 0
|nationalyears2 = 2015
|nationalteam2 = Republic of Ireland U18
|nationalcaps2 = 1
|nationalgoals2 = 0
|club-update = 18:03, 26 April 2025 (UTC)
}}
Dominic Archie Bernard (born 29 March 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for {{English football updater|YeovilTo}} club Yeovil Town.
Bernard began his football career with Birmingham City. He made his senior debut while on loan to Aldershot Town of the National League in 2018–19, and was released at the end of that season without having played senior football for Birmingham. He signed for Forest Green Rovers in July 2019, and left the club after their relegation from the Football League in 2024.
Bernard was born in Gloucester, England, and has represented the Republic of Ireland internationally at under-17 and under-18 levels.
Club career
=Early life and club career=
Bernard was born in Gloucester.{{cite news |url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gloucester-born-youngster-progressing-well-1169445 |title=Gloucester born youngster progressing well at Birmingham City |first=Jon |last=Palmer |website=Gloucestershire Live |date=5 February 2018 |accessdate=12 March 2019}} and attended Upton St Leonards primary school.{{cite news |url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-bishops-cleeve-manchester-1304980 |title=From Birmingham City to Bishop's Cleeve and from Manchester United to the England rugby team: Gloucester Primary Schools FA success stories |first=Jon |last=Palmer |website=Gloucestershire Live |date=6 March 2018 |accessdate=12 March 2019}} He represented Gloucestershire Schools at football at primary school level, as well as playing for local team Tredworth Tigers, before joining Birmingham's Academy at the age of 12. He took up a scholarship with the club in July 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/~/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/registrations/july-2013.ashx |format=PDF |title=List of Players Registered as Scholars in Accordance with Rule C.3 Between 01/07/2013 and 31/07/2013 |publisher=The Football Association |page=39 |accessdate=12 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408233947/http://www.thefa.com/~/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/registrations/july-2013.ashx |archive-date=8 April 2014}} By 2014–15 pre-season, he was captain of the under-18 team.{{cite web |url=http://www.bcfc.com/news/article/20140729-u18s-holland-diary-day-one-1797806.aspx |title=U18s Holland diary – day one |first=Jeremy |last=Poulson |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=29 July 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905154916/https://www.bcfc.com/news/article/20140729-u18s-holland-diary-day-one-1797806.aspx |archivedate=5 September 2015}}
=Birmingham City=
Bernard played in the Birmingham team, a mixture of first-team and reserve players, that won the 2014–15 Birmingham Senior Cup,{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2015/blues-win-the-senior-cup/ |title=Blues win the Senior Cup |first=Peter |last=Lewis |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=30 April 2015 |accessdate=12 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809000102/https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2015/blues-win-the-senior-cup/ |archive-date=9 August 2017}} and signed his first professional contract, of two years, a few days later. According to coach Steve Spooner, "Dom is your thinking man's footballer. He is very calm and composed on the ball and seldom goes to ground. He sees things quickly and his reading of the game is excellent."{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2015/youngsters-sign-first-pro-deals/ |title=Youngsters sign first pro deals |first=Peter |last=Lewis |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=6 May 2015 |accessdate=12 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805223441/https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2015/youngsters-sign-first-pro-deals/ |archive-date=5 August 2017}} He was a member of the Birmingham reserve team that lost the 2016 Birmingham Senior Cup final to National League North champions Solihull Moors.{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-senior-cup-final-birmingham-11291593 |title=Birmingham Senior Cup final: Birmingham City U21s 1 Solihull Moors 2 |first=Brian |last=Dick |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=5 May 2016 |accessdate=12 March 2019}} He was one of three youngsters{{snd}}the others were Josh Dacres-Cogley and Wes Harding{{snd}}who began their pre-season training with the first team,{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-comment-absentees-photographers-11556540 |title=Birmingham City comment: Absentees, photographer's cases and the calm before the storm as Blues return to pre-season training |first=Brian |last=Dick |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=1 July 2016 |accessdate=12 March 2019}} but suffered an Achilles injury that kept him out for most of the 2016–17 season.
The club took up the one-year option on Bernard's contract for the 2017–18 season,{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/new-deals-for-blues-youngsters |title=New deals for Blues youngsters |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=4 July 2017 |accessdate=4 September 2022}} and offered him a further year for 2018–19.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/contract-offers-for-blues-under-23s |title=Contract offers for Blues Under-23s |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=14 February 2018 |accessdate=4 September 2022}} Initially a member of the U23 squad for pre-season training in Austria, Bernard was called into the senior party, and on their return to England, he played in several first-team friendlies. He then joined Aldershot Town of the National League on a six-month loan.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/archive/dominic-bernard-makes-loan-move |title=Dominic Bernard makes loan move |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=24 July 2018 |accessdate=4 September 2022}} He became a regular in the side, and his loan was extended to the end of the season.{{cite news |url=https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/25462/shots-extend-loan-deals/ |title=Aldershot extend loan deals |newspaper=The Non-League Paper |date=22 January 2019 |accessdate=12 March 2019}} He won the club's Player of the Month award for January 2019,{{cite web |url=https://www.shotstrust.co.uk/latest-news/dom-bernard-wins-january-potm/ |title=Dom Bernard wins January POTM |website=Aldershot Town Supporters Trust |date=12 February 2019 |accessdate=18 July 2019}} and finished the season with 37 appearances in all competitions.
In March 2019, Birmingham confirmed that Bernard would be released when his contract expired at the end of the season.{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/under-23s-birmingham-city-decided-16007523 |title=The Under 23s Birmingham City have decided to release and retain |first=Brian |last=Dick |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=21 March 2019 |accessdate=24 March 2019}}
=Forest Green Rovers=
After taking part in pre-season training with Forest Green Rovers, Bernard signed a one-year contract with the League Two club on 17 July 2019.{{cite news |url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/forest-green-rovers-unveil-former-3102572 |title=Forest Green Rovers unveil former Birmingham City player as latest new signing |first=Tom |last=Gibbon |website=Gloucestershire Live |date=17 July 2019 |accessdate=17 July 2019}} He made his debut on the opening day of the 2019–20 season, in the starting eleven for the match at home to Oldham Athletic. He soon established himself as a regular in the starting eleven, playing on the right of the defence in a variety of formations, and in early November, his contract was extended to run until 2021.{{cite news |url=https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-birmingham-city-youngster-signs-3515346 |title=Former Birmingham City youngster signs new contract at Forest Green Rovers after impressive start |first=Robert |last=Iles |website=Gloucestershire Live |date=8 November 2019 |accessdate=16 November 2019}}
Following the second of back-to-back relegations, Bernard was released at the end of the 2023–24 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.fgr.co.uk/news/retained-and-released-list-2024 |title=Retained and Released List 2024 |publisher=Forest Green Rovers F.C. |date=30 April 2024 |accessdate=30 April 2024}}
=Yeovil Town=
Bernard signed a one-year contract with National League club Yeovil Town on 6 September 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.ytfc.net/signing-dom-bernard-signs-for-the-glovers/ |title=Dom Bernard signs for the Glovers |publisher=Yeovil Town F.C. |date=6 September 2024 |access-date=7 September 2024}} He made his debut the following day away to AFC Fylde. Yeovil came back from 2–0 down to lead 3–2, but Fylde equalised in the 84th minute; three minutes later, Bernard scored what proved to be the winner.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cgrjkxgdnlrt |title=Fylde 3–2 Yeovil Town |website=BBC Sport |agency=PA Media |date=7 September 2024 |access-date=7 September 2024}}
International career
Bernard was first called up to the Republic of Ireland under-17 squad for two friendly matches against Slovakia in September 2013.{{cite web |url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/ireland-u17s-squad-named-for-friendly-games-in-slovakia |title=Ireland U17s squad named for friendly games in Slovakia |publisher=Football Association of Ireland (FAI) |date=2 September 2013 |accessdate=12 March 2019}} He started the first and came on for the last few minutes of the second, both of which were defeats.{{cite web |url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/ireland-u17s-suffer-friendly-defeat-in-slovakia |title=Ireland U17s suffer friendly defeat in Slovakia |publisher=FAI |date=10 September 2013 |accessdate=12 March 2019}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/ireland-u17s-suffer-friendly-loss-to-slovakia |title=Ireland U17s suffer friendly loss to Slovakia |publisher=FAI |date=12 September 2013 |accessdate=12 March 2019}} He played for the under-18s once in June 2015,{{cite web |url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/match/55505/2015/999941802 |title=Ireland U18s beat Luxembourg in friendly |publisher=FAI |date=2 June 2015 |accessdate=12 March 2019}} but was injured when under consideration for the under-19s a few months later.{{cite web |url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/doolin-names-ireland-u19-squad-for-italy-friendly-game |title=Doolin names Ireland U19 squad for Italy friendly game |publisher=FAI |date=2 September 2015 |accessdate=12 March 2019}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 26 April 2025}}
{{notelist}}
Honours
References
{{reflist}}
{{Yeovil Town F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernard, Dom}}
Category:Footballers from Gloucester
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers
Category:Republic of Ireland men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Birmingham City F.C. players
Category:Aldershot Town F.C. players
Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players
Category:Yeovil Town F.C. players
Category:National League (English football) players
Category:English Football League players