- Darcy Blake
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Darcy Blake 
Darcy Blake playing for Cardiff City.Personal information Full name Darcy James Blake[1] Date of birth 13 December 1988 Place of birth New Tredegar, Wales Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Playing position Defender / Midfielder Club information Current club Cardiff City Number 23 Youth career 1999–2005 Cardiff City Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2005– Cardiff City 77 (0) 2009 → Plymouth Argyle (loan) 7 (0) National team‡ 2004–2005 Wales U17 5 (1) 2005–2006 Wales U19 6 (0) 2006– Wales U21 14 (0) 2010– Wales 8 (1) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 November 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 09:17, 14 November 2011 (UTC)Darcy James Blake (born 13 December 1988 in New Tredegar) is a Welsh professional footballer currently playing for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship. He is also a Welsh international, having made his debut in October 2010.
Contents
Club career
Cardiff City
Blake joined the Cardiff City youth side at the age of 10 and as a youngster he supported both Liverpool and Cardiff. Darcy attended Blackwood Comprehensive school, the same school as Alex Evans who has recently signed a professional contract for Cardiff City. He signed his first professional contract at the club in 2006 along with fellow academy graduate Chris Gunter.[2]
He made his first team debut on the 17 April 2006 against Crewe Alexandra in the Football League Championship,[3] but had to wait until 20 February 2007 to make his first league start for the club in a match against West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff losing the match 1–0. Blake also received a man of the match award in the semi final of the FAW Premier Cup against The New Saints after playing in the centre back position with his strength and tackling earning him the man of the match award
He can play in several positions in the team and has so far played at centre back, right back and right wing for the Bluebirds.[4] Blake began the 2007–08 season in the reserves but after a number of injuries affecting the team he began to make an impact on the first team, which included coming on as a substitute for Kevin McNaughton during a 2–0 win over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-final which was followed by his first league start of the season at right back in a 1–1 draw with Colchester United. In total he made 13 appearances during the season, including featuring in three of the clubs six matches as they reached the FA Cup final.
During the 2008–09 season Blake replaced Kevin McNaughton as right back after he suffered in an injury. He made seven appearances before being removed from the side.
Plymouth Argyle
On 28 August 2009, Blake signed for fellow Championship club Plymouth Argyle on loan until January 2010,[5] making his debut the following day in a 3–1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.[6] In his fifth appearance for the side, he was sent off for the first time in his professional career during a 1–1 draw with Ipswich Town on 24 October 2009.[7] Plymouth appealed the decision but the red card was upheld and he was subsequently banned for three matches.[8] Blake completed his loan at Plymouth on 31 December 2009 and returned to Cardiff. However, Plymouth manager Paul Mariner stated his desire for Blake to return to the club during the January transfer window.[9]
Return to Cardiff
On 19 January 2010, Blake was named on the bench in a FA Cup 3rd round replay with Bristol City, where he came on to make his first appearance of the season, before making his first start of the season in the fourth round against Leicester City four days later. He went on to establish himself in the side as a centre-back, making a career high 24 appearances and playing in the play-off Final. He started the next season as a regular in the side, playing at right back which again shows his versatility. He was also the first Cardiff City player to be awarded the Npower Man of the Match in the first home game of the season.
Blake missed Cardiff's 2011-12 pre-season through injury but returned in a 1-1 draw with Burnley coming on for Joe Mason on 20 August. His first start off the season was the following game against Huddersfield Town. He made his 100th appearance against Portsmouth on 27 August, which was also his first league start of the season. His impressive form for Wales, didn't help his chances in cementing a first-team place in the Cardiff squad. This lead to former Wales striker Iwan Roberts questioning his future at Cardiff City Stadium.[10] Cardiff boss, Malky Mackay, replied to this saying Blake was "in his plans" but his injuries and fitness were a problem.[11] Despite Wales' winning ways with Blake in the side the newly partnership of Mark Hudson and Ben Turner kept him at reserve level at club level, he confirmed he will hold talks with boss Malky Mackay over his future at the Welsh capital.[12]
International career
Blake was a regular for the Wales under-19 squad before he was called up to the under-21 squad for the first time in 2006 by coach Brian Flynn and made his debut for the side against Israel and has been a regular at under-21 level since. Usually playing at right back, he was part of the team that finished top of their qualifying group for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship before losing in the playoff match against England.
In May 2008 he received his first call-up, alongside six other uncapped members of Wales under-21 side, to the Wales team.[13] Blake made his full international debut on 12 October 2010 versus Switzerland in Basel. He played his second game against Scotland, in the Nations Cup, where Wales lost 3-1. On 10th August 2011 Blake scored his first senior career goal in a 2-1 defeat against Australia. A suspension to James Collins meant that Blake, was to start the following game against Montenegro at Centre-Back, he then kept his place in the side for the reminder of the Euro 2012 qualifiers after some impressive form, where Wales only suffered one defeat out of four games.
International goals
- Scores and results list. Wales's goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 10 August 2011 Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales 
Australia1–2 1–2 Friendly Club statistics
As of 22 November 2011.
Club Performance Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other[A] Total App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals Cardiff City 2005-06 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2006–07 10 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 13 0 2007–08 8 0 3 0 1 0 1 0 13 0 2008–09 7 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 19 0 2009–10 18 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 24 0 Plymouth Argyle (loan) 2009–10 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 Cardiff City 2010–11 26 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 30 0 2011–12 7 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 9 0 Total 84 0 9 0 5 0 8 0 106 0 Footnotes
- A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the FAW Premier Cup and Football League Championship Play-Offs.
Honours
- Cardiff City
- FA Cup Runner-Up: 1
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- 2007–08
- Football League Championship Play-Off Runner-Up: 1
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- 2010
References
- ^ "Search 1984 to 2006 – Birth, Marriage and Death indexes". Findmypast.com. http://www.findmypast.com/post84BMDSearchStart.action?redef=0&searchType=B. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
- ^ "Blake and Gunter join the paid ranks at Cardiff". South Wales Echo. 2006-11-08. http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/tm_headline=blake-and-gunter-join-the-paid-ranks-at-city&method=full&objectid=18063875&siteid=50082-name_page.html. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ "Crewe 1–1 Cardiff". BBC Sport. 2006-04-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/4906646.stm. Retrieved 2008-08-28.
- ^ "Blake a jack of all trades at Bluebirds". South Wales Echo. 2007-10-17. http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/footballnation/football-in-wales/2007/10/17/blake-a-jack-of-all-trades-at-bluebirds-91466-19966578/. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ "Welcome Mr Darcy". Plymouth Argyle FC official Site. 2009-08-28. http://www.pafc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10364~1780564,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
- ^ "Plymouth 1–3 Sheff Wed". BBC Sport. 2009-08-29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8215163.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ "Plymouth 1–1 Ipswich Town". BBC Sport. 2009-10-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8316479.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ "Dismissal Stands". PAFC.co.uk. 2009-10-29. http://www.pafc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10364~1840682,00.html. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ "Aaron's Bristol booster". cardiffcityfc.co.uk. 2010-01-01. http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10335~1919844,00.html. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
- ^ "Darcy Blake should consider Cardiff City exit, says Iwan Roberts". BBC Sport. 13 October 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15284380.stm. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ "Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay says Darcy Blake 'in his plans'". BBC Sport. 14 October 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15311760.stm?. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Wales defender Darcy Blake plans showdown talks with Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay". South Wales Echo. 15 November 2011. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2011/11/15/wales-defender-darcy-blake-plans-showdown-talks-with-cardiff-city-boss-malky-mackay-91466-29774851/. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ "Parry and Bellamy return for Wales". BBC Sport. 2008-05-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7402974.stm. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
External links
- Darcy Blake player profile at cardiffcityfc.co.uk
- Darcy Blake career stats at Soccerbase
Cardiff City F.C. – current squad 1 Marshall · 2 McNaughton · 3 Taylor · 4 Kiss · 5 Hudson (c) · 6 Gerrard · 7 Whittingham · 8 Cowie · 9 Miller · 10 Earnshaw · 11 Conway · 12 Keinan · 14 Quinn · 15 Gestede · 17 Gunnarsson · 18 Naylor · 19 Gyepes · 20 Mason · 21 Meades · 22 Heaton · 23 Blake · 24 Taiwo · 25 Turner · 28 Wildig · 30 Santiago · 31 Evans · 32 Farah · 33 Jarvis · 37 McPhail · 52 Ralls · 69 Oshilaja · Manager: Mackay
Categories:- 1988 births
- People from Caerphilly
- Cardiff City F.C. players
- Plymouth Argyle F.C. players
- Living people
- Welsh footballers
- Wales international footballers
- Wales under-21 international footballers
- The Football League players
- People from New Tredegar
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