He scored 116 goals in 347 league and cup games in ten seasons at Roker Park after joining from Stoke in 1902.

[3] He was the third of five children to Edwin and Hannah (née Bailey); his father worked as a stonemason and his mother was a furniture dealer.

[3] Bridgett played local football with Burslem Park and Trentham before joining Stoke in October 1902.

He went on to captain the "Black Cats" for ten years and gain his eleven caps, making him Sunderland's second most-capped England International behind Dave Watson.

In 1907–08, Bridgett scored 15 goals with Holley as the top scorer on 24, and Sunderland again finished in the lower half of the table.

[1] Ninety seconds into his first Vale game for over six years he had scored; this was the only goal in a win over Clapton Orient at The Old Recreation Ground on 10 November 1923.

The following year, he played in the British Home Championship matches against Ireland (4–0) and Wales (2–0); England won the tournament.

Bridgett was a deeply religious man and refused to play on Good Friday or Christmas Day throughout his career.