[3] He trained with the senior team and was a standby for a UEFA Champions League match against Inter Milan in March 2003.

[3] Bartlett signed for Conference North club Blyth Spartans, playing the first game of his career at senior level against Wakefield & Emley on 10 September 2005.

[20] Bartlett started for Gateshead as they were beaten 2–1 at Wembley Stadium by Cambridge United in the 2014 Conference Premier play-off final.

[27] Bartlett had his Hartlepool contract cancelled by mutual consent on 21 March 2017 to take up a full-time role as an academy goalkeeping coach at Middlesbrough[28][29] and moved into part-time football, signing for National League North club Darlington the following day.

[31] However, Darlington were denied entry to the play-offs because their Blackwell Meadows ground did not meet seating requirements.

[32] In October 2017, Bartlett turned down the opportunity to sign for Darlington's National League North rivals York City, as he wanted to stay part-time.

[35] He left York in May 2019 to pursue a career in sales with sporting goods manufacturers Core 37 and play part-time football for Whickham of the Northern League Division One.

He began working with the first team in January 2022, assisting head goalkeeper coach Simon Smith.

[38] On 21 October 2022, it was announced that Bartlett had been promoted to role of Newcastle's head goalkeeper coach.