Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Robert James Blake | ||
Date of birth | 4 March 1976 | ||
Place of birth | Middlesbrough, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
Playing position | Striker / Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
–1994 | Darlington | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1994–1997 | Darlington | 68 | (21) |
1995–1996 | → Waterford United (loan) | 2 | (0) |
1997–2002 | Bradford City | 153 | (40) |
2000 | → Nottingham Forest (loan) | 11 | (1) |
2002–2005 | Burnley | 120 | (42) |
2005 | Birmingham City | 11 | (2) |
2005–2007 | Leeds United | 77 | (19) |
2007–2010 | Burnley | 122 | (19) |
2010–2012 | Bolton Wanderers | 9 | (1) |
2012–2013 | Doncaster Rovers | 7 | (0) |
2013 | Team Northumbria | ||
Total | 580 | (145) | |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Robert James "Robbie" Blake (born 4 March 1976) is an English footballer. He began his career as a striker but has increasingly been used as midfielder in the latter part of his career.
He began his professional career with Darlington in 1994 and went on to make more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League playing for Bradford City, Nottingham Forest, Burnley, Birmingham City, Leeds United, Bolton Wanderers and Doncaster Rovers. Blake has been the subject of many transfers throughout his career, with career total transfer fees reaching £3.6 million.
Born in Middlesbrough, England, Blake began his professional football career at Division Three side Darlington in the 1994–95 season after signing on from the youth academy. He spent the first few seasons of his career playing at Feethams, and also was loaned out to Waterford United during the 1995–96 season, making some 68 league appearances and scoring 21 goals before the club received an offer, from then Division One side, Bradford City in March 1997. Bradford made a £300,000 offer for the player which Darlington accepted.