Darcy Blake

Personal information
Full name	Darcy James Blake[1]
Date of birth	13 December 1988 (1988-12-13) (age 21)
Place of birth	Caerphilly, Wales
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Playing position	Defender / Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Cardiff City
Youth career
1999–2005	Cardiff City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–	Cardiff City	26	(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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:00, 1 January 2009 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17:00, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

Darcy James Blake (born 13 December, 1988 in New Tredegar, Caerphilly) is a Welsh professional footballer. A Wales under-21 international, he currently plays in midfield and defence for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship.

Contents 1 Club career 1.1 Cardiff City 1.2 Plymouth Argyle 2 International career 3 Club statistics 4 Honours 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Club career

[edit] Cardiff City

Blake joined the Cardiff City youth side at the age of 10 and as a youngster he supported both Liverpool and Cardiff. 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 instead of the usual center midfield position with his strength and tackling earning him the man of the match award

Although midfield is his primary role 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 a injury. He made seven appearances before being removed from the side.

[edit] 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]

[edit] 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 play-of 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.^[10]

[edit] Club statistics

As of 1 January, 2010.

Club Performance

Club	Season	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		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	9	0
	Subtotal	26	0	4	0	3	0	3	0	36	0
Plymouth Argyle	2009-10	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
	Subtotal	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
Career Total		33	0	4	0	3	0	3	0	43	0

[edit] Honours

Cardiff City

• FA Cup Runner-up: 1
  

2007-08

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Darcy Blake player profile at cardiffcityfc.co.uk
• Darcy Blake career stats at Soccerbase

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