Darren Purse

Darren John Purse (born 14 February 1977) is an English former professional footballer who now coaches the Cardiff City U23s.

A centre-back, he began his career at Leyton Orient before winning a £100,000 move to Oxford United in July 1996. He continued to impress and was bought by Birmingham City for £700,000 in February 1998. He played for the "Blues" in the Premier League and the 2001 Football League Cup final before switching to West Bromwich Albion for a £750,000 fee in June 2004. After a year with the "Baggies", he was transferred to Championship side Cardiff City for just under £1 million.

Appointed as club captain, he was an unused substitute in the 2008 FA Cup final, where they were defeated by Portsmouth. He joined Sheffield Wednesday in July 2009 and was again appointed captain. The "Owls" suffered relegation into League One, and he moved on to Millwall in January 2011. Loaned out to Yeovil Town, he switched to Plymouth Argyle for a 12-month spell in January 2012.

He left Plymouth for Port Vale in January 2013 and helped the club to secure promotion out of League Two in 2012–13. He left England in August 2013 to play for Finnish club IFK Mariehamn, before heading into English non-League football with Chesham United, Welling United, Staines Town, AFC Rushden & Diamonds, Hayes & Yeading United, Bishop's Stortford, and Enfield Town. Throughout his 24-year playing career, he made 796 league and cup appearances, scoring 51 goals.

Purse was born in Stepney, London and attended Cardinal Pole Roman Catholic School in Hackney. As a youngster Purse played in the same Sunday league side as Lee Bowyer. He rejected apprenticeships at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in favour of training with the Leyton Orient first-team on the promise of a professional contract on his 17th-birthday. He made his senior début at Orient under Peter Eustace just three days after his 17th-birthday, in a defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Goldstone Ground. He spent close to two seasons at Brisbane Road, and scored five goals in 66 league and cup appearances for the club. Orient were relegated out of the Second Division in last place in 1994–95, and finished 21st in the Third Division in 1995–96. He also spent time in Finland on loan at Kakkonen (Second Division) club BK-IFK.

In July 1996, Purse was signed by Oxford United for a £100,000 fee. He made 31 appearances in the 1996–97 season, as Denis Smith's "Yellows" posted a 17th-place finish in the First Division. Purse impressed at the Manor Ground and scored six goals in 35 games in 1997–98.

Purse joined Birmingham City for £600,000 plus Kevin Francis (valued at £100,000) in February 1998. He started just two First Division games at the end of the 1997–98 season after making an unimpressive debut. He made 11 league starts and nine substitute appearances in the 1998–99 campaign, and also appeared at St Andrew's as a substitute in the play-off defeat to Watford after David Holdsworth was sent off – he converted a penalty in the shoot-out, which ended in a 7–6 victory for Watford.

Purse established an effective centre-back partnership with Michael Johnson in the 1999–2000 season, making 41 starts in league and cup competitions for the "Blues". He played at the Millennium Stadium in the 2001 League Cup final, and scored a 90th-minute penalty to take the game into extra time. He also converted his penalty in the shoot-out, which was won by Liverpool 5–4. Later that season Birmingham also reached the First Division play-offs, but they lost in the semi-finals to Preston North End in a penalty shootout, with Purse this time missing his penalty. With four goals in 49 appearances in the 2000–01 season, Purse won the vote to be named as the club's Player of the Season. This represented a significant turnaround for a young defender who was barracked by City supporters at the start of the campaign.