It meant he would have his formative, footballing years cheek-by-jowl with three of the finest players of the era, - James Kelly, John Lindsay and Bob Kelso, plus Kelso's younger brother, James. However, unlike the four other Thimble Street-lads Brady would never play for the village club. He would start, a forward, with junior team, Renton Thistle, but seemingly at the tender age of sixteen be already on his way south, to Newcastle West End, one half of the future Newcastle United. There he stayed a season and then drifted for two, at Scots-founded Sunderland, Gainsborough, Burnley for the start of the Football League, then back to Sunderland and onto Sunderland Albion, when it broke away. And it was only in 1889 and still only nineteen that he settled again, for two seasons at Everton, alongside club captain and another Renton-boy, Andrew Hannah. The Merseyside club would in the second season take the League title.

Perhaps that had been enough for Celtic to come calling and he returned north of the border, for a season, in which the Hoops would take the Scottish Cup. But even that proved not enough. He was persuaded back South and finally find a footballing home, at The Wednesday, Sheffield Wednesday for  a remarkable seven seasons, in 1896 leading the line in taking the FA Cup.