Kyle Bartley

2.1.1. Early Career and Professional Debut (2009-2010)

Bartley made his professional debut for Arsenal on 9 December 2009, in a UEFA Champions League match against Olympiacos, which Arsenal lost 1-0 away. In February 2010, Bartley signed a three-month loan deal with Sheffield United to provide defensive cover. He became a regular player during his time at Bramall Lane, making 14 appearances before returning to Arsenal at the end of the campaign.

2.1.2. Loan Spells at Sheffield United and Rangers (2010-2012)

On the eve of the 2010-11 season, Bartley returned to Sheffield United on a season-long loan deal. In late September, he suffered a broken cheekbone after a clash with Nottingham Forest striker Dele Adebola. He returned to action after a month out and was an ever-present figure for the "Blades" until the January transfer window. During this period, Sheffield United signed Neill Collins, leading Bartley to fear losing his place and request to leave the club. His request was granted, and on the last day of the transfer window, Bartley moved on loan to Scottish Premier League club Rangers.

He made his debut for Rangers on 12 February 2011, in a dominant 6-0 win against Motherwell at Ibrox. Bartley maintained his place in the Rangers lineup and scored his first senior goal in a 1-0 victory over St Mirren on 6 March 2011. However, a knee ligament injury sustained against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Europa League unfortunately ruled him out for the remainder of the season. This injury meant he missed Rangers' Scottish League Cup final win over Celtic and the crucial run-in to their league title triumph. He returned to Arsenal at the end of March 2011, but expressed his strong desire to return to Rangers.

On 31 July 2011, in a pre-season friendly competition, Bartley came on as a 74th-minute substitute for Laurent Koscielny in the final round of the Emirates Cup. He scored an own goal in the 84th minute, contributing to Arsenal's loss of the competition to the New York Red Bulls. On 3 August 2011, Bartley signed a new contract with Arsenal. The following day, he rejoined Rangers on a season-long loan for the 2011-12 season.

2.2.1. Transfer and Initial Period (2012-2013)

Bartley officially joined Swansea City on 16 August 2012, for a fee reported to be around 1.00 M GBP. He signed a three-year contract with the club. His debut for Swansea came in the second round of the Football League Cup on 28 August 2012, in a match against Barnsley, which Swansea won 3-1. Although an injury to Chico Flores led to Bartley being considered as his replacement for the 2013 Football League Cup Final, Bartley was ultimately left out of the squad for the final match. However, as he featured in earlier rounds, he was still part of the squad that won the trophy.

2.2.2. Loan to Birmingham City (2013-2014)

On 2 July 2013, Bartley agreed to a season-long loan move to Championship club Birmingham City. Despite having played little senior football in the preceding year and not having a full pre-season, manager Lee Clark selected him for the opening match of the season, where he played alongside fellow loanee Dan Burn and experienced captain Paul Robinson in a three-man defense. Birmingham lost this match 1-0 at home to Watford. In the subsequent match, Bartley scored his first goal in senior English football, an extra-time winner against Plymouth Argyle in the League Cup.

His initial lack of match sharpness led to him being occasionally rotated out of the squad in favor of Hayden Mullins. On 9 November, Bartley scored two goals in a 3-1 away win against Huddersfield Town, both headers from Jesse Lingard crosses. However, he was subsequently sent off after receiving a second yellow card for what the referee deemed "over-celebrating". On 29 January 2014, Bartley's season-long loan at Birmingham was cut short when his parent club, Swansea City, recalled him. During his time at Birmingham, Bartley made 19 appearances in all competitions and scored 5 goals.

2.2.3. Return to Swansea and Loan to Leeds United (2014-2017)

Upon his return to Swansea, Bartley impressed the new manager, Garry Monk, which led to him being handed a new three-year contract with Swansea until June 2017, signed on 5 July 2014. On 24 January 2015, Bartley was sent off in the seventh minute of an FA Cup fourth-round match away to Blackburn Rovers for a foul on Joshua King. Swansea went on to lose the match 3-1, and also had Gylfi Sigurðsson dismissed later in the game.

On 1 July 2016, Bartley joined Championship club Leeds United on loan for the entire 2016-17 season, a move that reunited him with his former Swansea manager, Garry Monk. He was assigned squad number 5. Bartley made his Leeds debut on 7 August against Queens Park Rangers in a 3-0 defeat. He scored his first goal for the club on 13 September in a 2-1 win against Blackburn Rovers. Four days later, Bartley captained Leeds United to a 2-0 victory against Cardiff City and continued to deputize as captain when Liam Bridcutt was unavailable. On 3 October, after scoring in a 2-1 victory and delivering a strong defensive performance, Bartley was named in the EFL Team of the Week. On 17 December, Bartley scored a late winner in a 1-0 win over Brentford, a goal that helped maintain Leeds' position in the playoff spots. His performance earned him a second inclusion in the EFL Team of the Week for the season.

After making 50 appearances in all competitions and scoring 6 goals for Leeds, the club confirmed that Bartley would return to Swansea once his loan expired. Bartley publicly stated, "I've said many times that I've loved every minute here. It's been a fantastic club for me, the fans have been great, the staff have been great and the players are fantastic."

2.2.4. Second Return to Swansea and Injuries (2017-2018)

In August 2017, Bartley returned to Swansea and signed a new four-year contract. Later that month, he sustained a serious knee injury during an EFL Cup match against MK Dons. He was ruled out for several months due to medial ligament damage in his knee, which required surgery. After recovering and returning from injury in January 2018, Bartley unfortunately picked up another knee injury in April 2018, which subsequently ruled him out for the remainder of the season.