Blake: Robert James (Robbie)

2005-2007 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Right Winger/Forward

Born: Middlesbrough: 04-03-1976

Debut v Millwall (h): 07-08-2005

5’9” 11st (2002)

Starting with Darlington in July 1994, he soon became an established player scoring twenty-three times in eighty-two appearances before departing for Bradford City on 27th March 1997 for £300,000. He scored twenty-one goals in sixty-four League games, including fourteen off the bench. He also had three starts and one game as a substitute, without scoring, in the F.A. Cup, one goal in four starts and one game as a substitute in the League Cup and one goal in for other games of which one was from the bench. A tricky player with good ball control and quick feet, he was also a prolific goal scorer. He helped Bradford to win promotion to the EPL, after he scored the winning goal in the final game, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, in the 1998-99 season, to see City up as League runners-up. His time in the top flight was not a happy one, however, and he was loaned out to Championship side Nottingham Forest following fallings-out with then-manager Paul Jewell. He stayed at the City Ground from 22nd August to 22nd November 2000, scoring once in the League from nine starts and one game from the bench and also starting one game in the League Cup. When Bradford were relegated after two seasons, and after Jewell had left the club, Blake began to show his eye for goal in the lower League and, with Bradford in financial trouble following mismanagement by then-chairman Geoffrey Richmond, a £1 million bid was accepted from Burnley on 25th January 2002. While at Valley Parade he had scored forty goals in the League from one hundred and nine starts and forty-four games as a substitute. He also scored one in seven starts in the F.A. Cup, four in eleven League Cup games, of which three were from the bench, and a further two from four starts and three substitute appearances in other games. At Turf Moor he was a regular and was made Captain during his finalseason. Following a poor start due to a hernia, Blake started to score goals at the beginning of the 2002-03 season, but the Burnley team, that had narrowly missed out on goal difference, by one goal, the previous season, were not the same force this time around. Blake became the new hero of the fans with twenty-two goals in all competitions in the following season, but a re-built squad again finished in a desultory eighteenth place. The next season he was again in excellent form, scoring thirteen goals in twenty-eight appearances. He was subject to multiple rejected bids around the £600,000-£800,000 mark at Christmas 2004 from Wigan Athletic and, despite them being managed by Paul Jewell, Blake came out into the media to state his desire to talk to Athletic. When an acceptable £1.25 million bid was received from Birmingham City, Blake left to pursue his Premiership dream on 5th January 2005. While with Burnley, he had scored forty-two League goals in one hundred and three starts and seventeen games as a substitute. He also had netted four goals in six starts and one game as a substitute in the F.A. Cup and five goals in ten starts in the League Cup. He could not establish himself in the first team and he played only eleven League games, two as a substitute and two games in the F.A. Cup, one as a substitute, and only scoring twice, both in the League, before a move to Leeds on 18th July 2005 for £800,000. After the big-money transfer it took Blake a while to settle into his stride at Elland Road, however, once he did, he proved to be a clever link-up player with good close control and also proved to be dangerous from set-pieces, where he scored some spectacular goals. After United were relegated from the CCCL he left for Burnley on 13th July 2007 for £250,000 on a three-year deal. A number of clauses on the sale meant the total transfer fee could rise to £350,000 after forty games and also included a further payment if Burnley were to be promoted. He started off his return to Burnley in fine style and achieved the first milestone with ease, scoring nine goals in the process. After returning to Turf Moor, Blake had produced the form which eluded him at Leeds and in his two seasons there he scored seventeen goals in seventy-four starts and seventeen games off the bench in the League, played six F.A. Cup ties without scoring, scored twice in seven starts and three substitute appearances in the League Cup and played in three play-off games without scoring. He started with a rich vein of form at the start of the 2007-08 season and the goals and sustained good form just kept on coming as he scored ten times in forty-three matches. In 2008-09 season his goal, and two other goals, of which he was the architect, almost put Burnley into the League Cup Final before Tottenham Hotspur scored twice in the last two minutes to take the tie on aggregate. However Burnley got their just reward when a win over Sheffield United in the play-off final saw the club return to the top flight after an absence of thirty-three years, with Blake playing his part in the 1-0 win at Wembley. It was his goal that gave Burnley a boost at the start of the 2009-10 season when they beat Manchester United at Turf Moor. In his second stint at Turf Moor he scored nineteen goals in one hundred and twenty-two League games, of which twenty-eight were from the bench. He also made seven starts in both of the Cup competitions, making one further appearance as a substitute in the F.A. Cup and four in the League Cup, in which competition he also netted twice, and he also appeared in three play-off games. He rejected a one year deal with Burnley and, after being offered a two year deal by Heart of Midlothian, he decided to sign a one year contract with Bolton Wanderers on 30th June 2010, where he rejoined his former Burnley Manager, Owen Coyle. At the Reebok he has been used sparingly, scoring once in eight substitute appearances in the League, making one start and one game from the bench in the F.A. Cup and two starts in the League without scoring in either competition. In May 2011 he was given a one year extension to his contract by Bolton.