Recent from talks
Nathan Blake
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Nathan Blake
Nathan Blake (born 27 January 1972) is a Welsh former professional footballer, pundit and television presenter.
He notably played in the Premier League for Sheffield United, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He also played in the Football League for Cardiff City, Leicester City and Leeds United before retiring with non-league side Newport County. He was capped 30 times by Wales, scoring four goals. He has previously been capped at U21 and B team level. He was relegated from the Premier League on a joint record of five occasions (with Hermann Hreiðarsson). Blake is also one of the most promoted players to the Premier League with three promotions.
Following retirement, Blake has worked for Wales Online reporting on Cardiff City, BBC Wales, BBC 5 Live, and Sky Sports. In October 2020 he presented a programme on BBC Wales titled Wales' Black Miners.
Blake was born in Cardiff and grew up nearby on the Ringland estate in Newport, Wales. Blake was raised by his mother, aunt, and grandmother, and his cousins Matthew Robinson, a Wales rugby union international and Anthony Sullivan, a dual code rugby international. His uncle Clive Sullivan was a rugby league international. Blake attended Milton Primary School and Hartridge High School.
Blake was a trainee at Chelsea but was released in 1990, without graduating to the first team. He told WalesOnline in 2020 how, despite his upbringing showing "99% of people from the estate [having] no fear", he saw racism "like no other time in my life" at Chelsea. The club have since been accused of ignoring the racist abuse of coaches Graham Rix and Gwyn Williams.
He moved back to his home-city club Cardiff City after this, where he quickly made his senior debut against Bristol Rovers in March. He quickly rose to being a first team regular in 1990–91 and went on to become a firm favourite with fans.
He helped the club to the Third Division title in 1992–93, scoring 11 times, and made a strong start to life in the third tier the next season, scoring 14 goals in 20 games. It was during this season that he rose to national prominence when he scored a spectacular goal against Manchester City to send them crashing out of the FA Cup. This form attracted Premier League Sheffield United to snap him up for £300,000 in February 1994. In total, he scored 40 goals in 164 appearances for the Welsh side.
Blake scored five goals in the remainder of Sheffield United's top flight campaign, but could not halt relegation. He then finished as the Blades' top scorer in the next two seasons, but neither season saw the club mount a serious promotion challenge in Division One. During the 1995–96 season, his goalscoring again won him a move to the Premier League, as he joined Bolton Wanderers in December 1995 in a £1,200,000 deal.
Hub AI
Nathan Blake AI simulator
(@Nathan Blake_simulator)
Nathan Blake
Nathan Blake (born 27 January 1972) is a Welsh former professional footballer, pundit and television presenter.
He notably played in the Premier League for Sheffield United, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He also played in the Football League for Cardiff City, Leicester City and Leeds United before retiring with non-league side Newport County. He was capped 30 times by Wales, scoring four goals. He has previously been capped at U21 and B team level. He was relegated from the Premier League on a joint record of five occasions (with Hermann Hreiðarsson). Blake is also one of the most promoted players to the Premier League with three promotions.
Following retirement, Blake has worked for Wales Online reporting on Cardiff City, BBC Wales, BBC 5 Live, and Sky Sports. In October 2020 he presented a programme on BBC Wales titled Wales' Black Miners.
Blake was born in Cardiff and grew up nearby on the Ringland estate in Newport, Wales. Blake was raised by his mother, aunt, and grandmother, and his cousins Matthew Robinson, a Wales rugby union international and Anthony Sullivan, a dual code rugby international. His uncle Clive Sullivan was a rugby league international. Blake attended Milton Primary School and Hartridge High School.
Blake was a trainee at Chelsea but was released in 1990, without graduating to the first team. He told WalesOnline in 2020 how, despite his upbringing showing "99% of people from the estate [having] no fear", he saw racism "like no other time in my life" at Chelsea. The club have since been accused of ignoring the racist abuse of coaches Graham Rix and Gwyn Williams.
He moved back to his home-city club Cardiff City after this, where he quickly made his senior debut against Bristol Rovers in March. He quickly rose to being a first team regular in 1990–91 and went on to become a firm favourite with fans.
He helped the club to the Third Division title in 1992–93, scoring 11 times, and made a strong start to life in the third tier the next season, scoring 14 goals in 20 games. It was during this season that he rose to national prominence when he scored a spectacular goal against Manchester City to send them crashing out of the FA Cup. This form attracted Premier League Sheffield United to snap him up for £300,000 in February 1994. In total, he scored 40 goals in 164 appearances for the Welsh side.
Blake scored five goals in the remainder of Sheffield United's top flight campaign, but could not halt relegation. He then finished as the Blades' top scorer in the next two seasons, but neither season saw the club mount a serious promotion challenge in Division One. During the 1995–96 season, his goalscoring again won him a move to the Premier League, as he joined Bolton Wanderers in December 1995 in a £1,200,000 deal.