Name: Thurston Shaun Bartlett
Country:
South AfricaClub: FC Zürich (1998-2000), Charlton Athletic F.C. (2001-2006)
Position: *CF
Side: RF/BS
Age: 26-29 years (31/10/1972)
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 79 kg
Attack: 83
Defence: 45
Balance: 85
Stamina: 83
Top Speed: 82
Acceleration: 77
Response: 82
Agility: 76
Dribble Accuracy: 75
Dribble Speed: 78
Short Pass Accuracy: 73
Short Pass Speed: 71
Long Pass Accuracy: 70
Long Pass Speed: 70
Shot Accuracy: 78
Shot Power: 84
Shot Technique: 85
Free Kick Accuracy: 60
Curling: 63
Header: 84
Jump: 87
Technique: 81
Aggression: 82
Mentality: 74
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 76
Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 5
Weak Foot Accuracy: 6
Weak Foot Frequency: 5
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Standard
CARDS:
P13 - Goal Poacher
P14 - Dummy Runner
P17 - Track Back
S05 - 1-touch Play
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Post Player - Lines - 1-touch Play
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Attack Minded
INFO:
Bartlett is a former centre-forward. His career started in 1992 at Cape Town Spurs where he played until 1995, making 116 apperances and scoring 48 goals. He then played for Colorado Rapids and MetroStars in 1996-97. Following one more season, on loan, at Cape Town Spurs in 1997-98, he tranferred to Europe. He first signed for Zürich where he scored 41 goals in 98 matches from from 1998 to 2000. He signed for Charlton Athletic in January 2001, spending five and a half seasons, scoring 26 goals in 139 games. He eventually returned to South Africa, playing for Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic before retiring in 2009. He capped for South Africa 74 times, scoring 28 goals. He's the only South African player to score two goals in a single World Cup match, which he did in 1998 against Saudi Arabia.
While he wasn't an example of consistency throughout his entire career, Bartlett was an excellent in-box striker who knew how to be a constant danger in the opposition's area. He played very well behind the defenders' shoulders, relying on quick dribbling, physical strength, instinct and a solid turn of speed off the ball. He also possessed an excellent combination of jump and heading ability that allowed him to score many goals or at least be a threat for any goalkeeper. He wasn't always accurate with his feet but his shot technique and power were superb: his 2000-01 Premier League Goal of the Season against Leicester City is a perfect example as he scored with a wonderful left-footed volley inside the box. He could often be seen outside the box, especially on the wings, setting up the attack and showing an overall decent distribution. Occasionally, he would even track back to his own defence to recover the ball.
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