Fielding: Francis David (Frank)

2009-2009 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Blackburn: 04-04-1988

Debut v Nil

6’1” 12st 0lb (2009)

As a youngster, Fielding attended the Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Blackburn. It was the school where former Blackburn striker James Beattie and Motherwell forward Chris Porter were educated. Locally born Fielding was a product of the Blackburn Rovers Academy. After signing professional forms the former captain of the Blackburn under-eighteen side was a regular between the posts for Blackburn Rovers' reserve side throughout the 2006/07 season, and some impressive displays led to the youngster representing England at Under-nineteen level. He was loaned out to League Two side Wycombe Wanderers on 28th September 2007 on a three-month loan deal to get first team experience and cover for their injured goalkeepers. He made his debut a day after arriving on loan and kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win at Bradford City. His shot-stopping and kicking were impressive during this original spell and he quickly became a favourite with the Wycombe fans.In his sixteen games he had kept six clean sheets and saved two penalties. He had produced so many good performances that, on 10th January 2008, his loan was extended until the end of the season. The new agreement kept Fielding at the club until 3rd May 2008 with an option to extend should the Chairboys make the League Two play-offs. Fielding also signed a new contract with Blackburn which would keep him at the club until 2010. He retained his place even after the Wycombe keeper Jamie Young had recovered from injury. He started thirty-six League games one F.A. Cup tie and two League Two Play-off Final games. He returned to Ewood Park but was soon sent out on loan and he joined Northampton Town on 9th September 2008. He made his England Under-twenty-one debut, replacing the injured Joe Lewis, in the thirty-third minute at Bramall Lane against the Czech Republic on 18th November 2008. After twelve League starts, two F.A. Cup and one League Cup start at Northampton, he then returned to Blackburn on 12th December 2008, before joining Rochdale on loan on 6th January 2009. He was brought into Spotland following concerns about their defensive abilities as a club. His impact at Spotland was immediate, with three clean sheets in his first six games which was more clean sheets than they had had in the League all season before he came. On 2nd February 2009, Fielding extended his stay with Rochdale until the end of the 2008/2009 season. In true keeper style, he was something of an eccentric. He had a tendency to go racing out of his box, and palpitations were common place when his outfield mentality took over, but Rochdale were never caught out by it. Fielding's time at Spotland came to an end following the Play Offs with twenty-three League appearances and two League Two Play-off games to his name, unfortunately Rochdale failed to get past Gillingham into the Final. A fan favourite, Fielding had been a very good loan player and many were sad to see him go. On 29th September 2009 Fielding joined Leeds United on loan on a one-month Emergency loan. Understudy Casper Ankergren was expected to play a few games after first-choice keeper Shane Higgs was ruled out with a thigh injury and Fielding was their as back-up until he recovered. Fielding was named as an unused substitute in Leeds' game against Carlisle United on the day he came on loan. He was not available for Leeds in their Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash against Darlington as he was called up for England Under-Twenty-one duty and Leeds Academy keeper Ryan Jones was called upon to sit on the bench. He was, however, back for the top of the table clash with Charlton Athletic and was an unused substitute. In the 2009-10 season he was loaned out to Rochdale from 1st February 2010 and played eighteen League games before returning to Ewood Park at the end of the season. He signed a new contract in January 2010 which saw him contracted until the summer of 2012. In 2010-11 he was loaned to Derby County, as cover for injured goalkeeper, Stephen Bywater, on 15th October 2010, initially for one month, but this was extended for a further month and he made ten starts before returning to Ewood Park on 15th December 2010. Upon his return to Ewood Park, Fielding was unused substitute keeper for three games, Sunderland and Liverpool in the EPL and Queens Park Rangers in the F.A. Cup. But, derby had encountered more goalkeeper injury problems and he was allowed to go back on loan to Pride Park on 25th February 2011 for a month in which he made six futher starts. On 9th May 2011, Derby made a triple signing of Fielding, Jamie Ward and Theo Robinson, who had each been on loan in the previous season. Fielding signed a three year deal and the fee was rumoured to be £400,000. He has been capped twice by England at Under-Nineteen level, and twelve times at Under-Twenty-One and been called up for the England Squad, but never made his debut for Blackburn Rovers.