Bradford Jamieson IV is holding himself and Hartford Athletic to a high standard in 2021

A native of Los Angeles, California, Bradford Jamieson IV had the perfect start to his professional soccer career. He signed a Homegrown Contract with the LA Galaxy as a teenager and went on to represent LA Galaxy II and the first team. “Getting to play for LA was a dream come true personally,” Bradford told BGN. “Being able to represent my hometown, friends, and family at such a young age felt very special as one could imagine.”

Reflecting on his favorite memories during that time, he said, “Along with being able to fight alongside an abundance of players with exceptional pedigree, scoring my first Goal, though not at home, but in front of many east coast family members at the Red Bull arena is still one of my fondest moments.”

He split time between the first team and Los Dos from 2014-2018 then spent 2019 on loan with San Antonio FC, scoring five goals. Following the season, he was out of contract with the LA Galaxy and embarked on a new journey. He explained, “Leaving the Galaxy in hindsight was inevitable, mainly for the fact that the dream had always been to play European football and going to Denmark seemed like a good opportunity to dive into that culture of football and climb the ladder.”

“The experience, though up and down, was fruitful. Covid had a large impact on my time out there, but many lessons were learned which I’ve been happy to apply to my game.”

After that season in Denmark with Vendsyssel FF, Jamieson IV is back in the United States as a member of Hartford Athletic. “When it came down to a decision Hartford was a favorite because of the plan they have set for not only me but themselves as well,” he said. “They made it clear that the environment being developed would be good for anyone’s development as long as that person has the intention of real growth on and off of the pitch.”

“Both Harry (Watling) and Luiz (Silva) made a quick impact on me via our conversations, it was evident that we had all been on the same page and the hunger was most certainly there for us all.”

With experience in the USL Championship, Bradford is able to see the potential of this year’s Hartford team. He said, “I’m very confident in this team, not only is there quality from front to back but on and off of the pitch the lads jelled quickly and have similar ambitions which I think is a huge key to reaching a goal. There is transparency and healthy competition which means that the only direction from here for us is up.”

The final whistle sounds and your Boys in Green win the final match of the preseason 3-0! pic.twitter.com/CNGpLDQ91w

— Hartford Athletic (@hfdathletic) April 25, 2021

Bradford’s production will be a key factor in the club’s success and he has some goals for himself in 2021. “Individually I want to be the amongst the top producers in this league and help lead the team to lifting silverware,” he said.

Despite being a professional since 2014, Jamieson IV is still only 24 years old. How motivated is he ahead of this season to show that he was worthy of the high expectations attached to him early in his career? “Very,” he answered. “I try to show it every day on the training pitch and let that bleed out into the matches we play. I have no intention of being lackadaisical in any way, the standard is held high for me and anyone alongside me.”

After a breakout season in 2020, Hartford Athletic will kick off their 2021 campaign tonight under new head coach Harry Watling. Jamieson IV and his teammates will square off with New York Red Bulls II in New Jersey with kickoff set for 7 PM Eastern.

Off the pitch, Bradford is enjoying the adjustment of life on the East Coast as much as he can with COVID-19 restrictions. Jamieson IV explained, “It has been restricted a bit but Connecticut as a whole seems to have done pretty well with keeping the numbers and outbreaks low. So far the biggest restriction had been by the weather but I see that being a small factor rather soon.”

“I plan on getting into as many classic Connecticut situations as possible though, and definitely open to new suggestions. Life on the east coast is a change but its rather nice to be in a new environment again, a new place to adjust to.”

While living on the East Coast is a fun, new adventure for Jamieson IV, dealing with racism throughout the world and in soccer is something he’s unfortunately all too familiar with. “Contrary to the norm, I may keep things short,” Bradford said. “This year has been especially tough but as we have all seen, the problem we face with racism is still alive, both in the game and in the real world. What I will say is that I would like to see teams hold people accountable, in the realest sense.”

“The extent a lot of business, platforms, and publications will go to to adhere to problems they face fiscally are typically met with much more prompt and fierce action. Why can’t that be the same when it comes to racism? And why should people even have to ask? At the end of the day, I could only ask that every person took it upon themselves to reflect on whether they are solving the issue or adding fuel to the fire. People should be brutally honest with themselves. To be silent is to be an advocate for the hate we see towards black, brown and Asian people alike. It all needs to stop; it has no place in the world of football nor the beautiful world we live in.”