Andrew Bernal was born on May 16, 1966, in Canberra and is recognized as a pioneer of Australian soccer. As the son of Spanish immigrants, he became the first player from Canberra to represent the senior Australian national team. His international journey began early when he captained the Australian under-twenty squad and later became the youngest-ever captain of the under-twenty-three Olyroos at just eighteen years old. Between 1989 and 1996, the defender represented the senior Socceroos on twenty-one occasions, which included thirteen official full international caps. A major highlight of his international tenure was playing for an Asian selection against Italian champions Sampdoria in 1994 in front of one hundred thousand fans. After his playing retirement, he returned to the Socceroos as Chief Scout, playing a vital role behind the scenes in helping Australia qualify for the historic 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Beyond his playing career, Bernal has established himself as a raw and honest author. In his 2021 autobiography titled Riding Shotgun – The Autobiography of the Original Wizard of Oz, he delivers an unfiltered look into his life. The book covers his groundbreaking playing career but focuses heavily on his time as the personal manager and protector to David Beckham during Beckham's Galacticos era at Real Madrid. Bernal writes openly about his post-retirement descent into severe drug addiction and the British tabloid phone-hacking scandal before finding ultimate redemption. His second book published in 2023, The Vibe Manager, serves as a short memoir focusing on his return to professional football. It documents his time working with the coaching staff of the Central Coast Mariners, capturing the internal team culture that propelled the club to historic back-to-back A-League championships.