The former Arsenal starlet admitted leaving the Emirates Stadium may have been the wrong decision
James Shea, Craig Eastmond, Kyle Bartley and Tom Cruise celebrate Arsenal's 2009 FA Youth Cup win
Kyle Bartley made only one senior appearance for Arsenal(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Leaving Arsenal as a youngster is a big call for any player, and it's one Kyle Bartley made in the hope of progressing his footballing career.
Bartley represented a host of clubs during his playing days, including Sheffield United, Rangers and Leeds - with the latter taking on the Premier League champions on Saturday. Now 35 years old, the former defender retired from the sport last year, with his career getting off to an exciting start when he was promoted to Arsenal's first team at 18.
The former Gunners reserve team captain spent two years in the club's academy, and following his promotion to the senior squad, Bartley was subsequently sent out on two loans to the Blades, but his breakthrough occurred during his time with the Scottish giants.
He played nine games in Rangers' domestic double triumph in the 2010/11 season, but was told upon his return to Arsenal that his opportunities would be limited. The likes of Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Johan Djourou and Sebastian Squillaci were all ahead of him in the pecking order, meaning his playing time was limited.
The lack of chances led to Bartley's return to Ibrox, where he made 21 appearances across all competitions and had become accustomed to being a regular starter. However, his decision to rejoin Rangers was one his agent had initially advised against.
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Kyle Bartley, Johan Djourou, Martin Angha and Kyle Ebecilio of Arsenal watch the penalty shootout
Kyle Bartley was the captain of Arsenal's reserve team (Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
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Speaking via the Glasgow Times last year, Bartley admitted leaving Arsenal to seek regular playing time may have been a miscalculation on his part. He said: "It was a difficult position for me at the time.
"Because I’d had a couple of years of reserve football with Arsenal, and I was captain of the team… to go from that, to experiencing real football up in Scotland… I just wanted more of it." Bartley's second stint at Rangers ended in the club being expelled from the Scottish Premiership after entering administration mid-season.
He explained: "So, I convinced my agent to get the deal done and I went back to Rangers, and obviously what followed was a really tough year for the club. They got themselves into a bit of a mess, and while I still had a really good time there, looking back, it may have been a better career decision for me to have stayed at Arsenal that year."
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LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 22: Luke Ayling and Kyle Bartley of Arsenal celebrate their win after the FA Youth Cup Final 1st Leg match between Arsenal and Liverpool at The Emirates Stadium on May 22, 2009 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
The 35-year-old retired from football last year(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Bartley signed for Swansea City in 2012, but made just 38 appearances for the club in six years, with the majority of his career at the Swans being hampered by injury, and spent loan spells at both Birmingham City and Leeds.
He finally found a home at West Brom in 2018 and spent seven years at the Hawthorns, where he played in 232 games for the club before a knee injury forced him to hang up his boots.