Cambridge United Bridges played for local team
Cambridge United, whom he joined at the age of eight, and he progressed through the club's
youth system before signing his first professional contract in February 2002. He played six further matches
that season, scoring his first senior goal in a 2–1 home victory against
Tranmere Rovers on 13 April 2002. Bridges was a regular in the first half of the
2002–03 season, making 25 appearances and scoring once in a 3–0 victory against
York City. A persistent ankle injury curtailed his season, and he did not feature from February onwards. He returned to the first team in October 2003, and played a further 22 times for the club during the
2003–04 season. Bridges left Cambridge at the end of the season after failing to agree terms on a new contract, later stating the offer undervalued his contribution to the club. Over his three seasons with Cambridge United, Bridges made 55 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals. He also spent much of the close season in the United States training with two professional football clubs, though ultimately concluded that a move was not financially viable. Shortly after training with Histon, Bridges signed a short-term contract with
Braintree Town, making his debut for the club in a 2–1 home victory against
Slough Town a day after joining. He sustained a foot injury in a 3–1 away victory at
Hendon, which proved to be his final appearance for the club; he played four times for Braintree, all of which were victories. A month later, Bridges joined Histon on a short-term basis, making 11 appearances, as the club achieved promotion to the
Conference South during his time there. He left Histon at the end of the season and rejoined Cambridge United on a one-year contract following a successful trial. Reflecting on the return, Bridges stated he "did not hesitate in joining Cambridge for a second time" after being offered a full-time contract in June 2005. He made his second debut for Cambridge in a 1–0 defeat at
Forest Green Rovers, and scored in each of the following two games against
Hereford United and
Accrington Stanley. He made 40 appearances that season, contributing seven goals from midfield. Bridges made 31 appearances under new manager
Jimmy Quinn during the
2006–07 season, scoring three goals. He was released by Cambridge in May 2007 as part of a major overhaul of the playing squad. Across his second spell at the club, Bridges made 71 appearances in all competitions over two seasons, scoring ten goals. He scored his first goal for the club in the following game, doubling Kettering's lead in a 2–1 victory against
Tamworth. He was a regular throughout the
2007–08 season, scoring 11 goals in 27 appearances to help Kettering earn promotion to the
Conference Premier.
Stevenage Bridges was offered a new contract by Kettering manager
Mark Cooper, which he rejected, instead joining former Kettering team-mates
Craig Westcarr and
Gary Mills at
Stevenage Borough on 13 May 2008. A knee injury sustained in pre-season sidelined him for the first half of the
2008–09 season. He eventually made his Stevenage debut in a 1–1 draw against
Oxford United on 20 December 2008, scoring Stevenage's goal with an "unstoppable drive from outside the area". Bridges went on to score three goals in the club's successful
FA Trophy run that season, which included scoring the winner in Stevenage's 3–2 home victory against
Ebbsfleet United in the first leg of the semi-final. His season was cut short by injury in a 1–1 draw against Oxford United at
Broadhall Way, in which he scored Stevenage's goal before being ruled out for the remainder of the season. Bridges made 21 appearances during the 2008–09 season, scoring six goals. He missed the first three games of the
2010–11 season due to suspension following a red card in the
2010 FA Trophy Final. An ankle injury sustained in training sidelined him for a month, returning to the first team as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 home defeat to
Wycombe Wanderers in October 2010, later admitting he was "not fully fit". He scored his only goal of the season in Stevenage's 3–1 away victory against
Port Vale on 22 February 2011. Bridges made 24 appearances in all competitions, helping Stevenage earn promotion to
League One in their first Football League season.
Return to Kettering Bridges rejoined Conference Premier club Kettering Town on 1 August 2011, signing a two-year contract after being released by Stevenage. An injury late in the previous season, combined with contractual delays at Stevenage, prompted him to sign for Kettering. Bridges made his debut in a 2–0 away victory at
Lincoln City on 10 September 2011, the club's first away win of the season. After just five appearances, Bridges was transfer-listed by new manager
Mark Stimson on 29 September amid the club's financial difficulties. Despite this, he remained involved with the first team and scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw against
Ebbsfleet United. Following Stimson's departure, Bridges assumed responsibility for taking training sessions, with as few as six players attending due to unpaid wages. He made his debut in a 3–2 home win over
Bromley on 25 August 2012 He made 36 appearances in all competitions during his one season at Chelmsford, scoring twice, as the club were defeated 2–1 on aggregate by
Salisbury City in the Conference South play-off semi-finals.
Later career Shortly after the end of the
2012–13 season, Bridges signed for
Isthmian League Premier Division club
Bury Town on a free transfer. On announcing the signing, manager Gary Setchell described the club as "very fortunate" to have secured Bridges at a time when he was balancing football with business commitments. Setchell described his departure as a loss for the club, but expressed full understanding of his decision to retire. He made his first appearance in a 1–0 away defeat to
AFC Rushden & Diamonds in the
Southern Combination Challenge Cup on 3 October 2017. Bridges made one appearance for Southern League Premier Division Central club
St Ives Town in August 2021. ==International career==