The Manchester City number one believes there’s no reason to separate goalkeepers at academy level.
"I trained with some great keepers at college, alongside full-grown men, and it helped me 100%," Bardsley told BBC Sport.
"The speed of play, the reaction, the strength. Those things were invaluable to me as well as the mindset. They were all helpful."
Goalkeeping in the women’s game has come under intense scrutiny in recent months, with England manager Phil Neville stating 'there is not enough respect for goalkeepers' in women's football.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes’ column in The Times also broached the topic of goals being made smaller to compensate for women generally being smaller than men.
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