Ryan Blake (footballer)

Ryan Blake
Personal information
Full name Ryan George Blake[1]
Date of birth (1991-12-08) 8 December 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Weybridge, England
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Position(s) Left back
Team information
Current team
 Virginia Water
Youth career
–2010 Brentford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2012 Brentford 1 (0)
2010 → Woking (loan) 3 (0)
2011 → Ebbsfleet United (loan) 11 (0)
2011 → Farnborough (loan) 4 (1)
2012 → Hampton & Richmond Borough (loan) 2 (0)
2012–2013 Ebbsfleet United 8 (0)
2013–2014 Chertsey Town (3)
2014 Kingstonian 4 (0)
2020– Virginia Water 63 (0)
International career
2010 Northern Ireland U19 1 (0)
2010–2011 Northern Ireland U21 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:54, 12 December 2024 (UTC)

Ryan George Blake (born 8 December 1991) is an English former professional footballer who plays as a left back for Combined Counties League Premier Division North club Virginia Water.

Blake is a product of the Brentford youth system and made one Football League appearance for the club. After his release in 2012, he dropped into non-League football. Blake was capped by Northern Ireland at youth level.

Career

Brentford

A left back, Blake began his career in the Centre of Excellence at Brentford and signed a two-year scholarship during the 2008 off-season.[3] He was an unused substitute on 19 occasions during the 2009–10 League One season and made what would be his only senior appearance for the club as a substitute for Lionel Ainsworth in a 1–1 draw with Yeovil Town on 24 April 2010.[4][5]

Despite signing his first professional contract during the 2010 off-season,[6] Blake found his first team chances limited during the 2010–11 season and was an unused substitute on just four occasions.[7] He was loaned to Conference South clubs Woking and Ebbsfleet United during the season and made 16 appearances across both spells.[8][9][10][7]

Blake signed new a one-year contract to be part of the Development Squad for the 2011–12 season and spent much of the season on loan at Conference South clubs Farnborough and Hampton & Richmond Borough.[6][11][12] He failed to feature at all under new manager Uwe Rösler and was released when his contract expired in June 2012.[13][14]

Non-League football

Following an unsuccessful trial with Lincoln City,[15] Blake returned to then-Conference Premier club Ebbsfleet United on a permanent contract during the 2012 off-season.[16] He made only eight appearances during his only full season with the club,[7] which suffered relegation to the Conference South.[17]

Blake transferred to Southern League First Division Central club Chertsey Town in August 2013 and was awarded the captaincy.[18] He transferred Isthmian League Premier Division club Kingstonian during the 2014 off-season,[19] but made only 8 appearances, with his final match coming in early December 2014.[20]

Blake re-entered non-League football with Hellenic League Premier Division club Virginia Water in 2020.[21] The club transferred to the Combined Counties League Premier Division North in 2021 and Blake progressed to become club captain.[22][23]

International career

Blake was capped by Northern Ireland at U19 and U21 level.[24] He made his U19 debut in a 2–2 2010 European U19 championship elite qualifying draw with Russia on 23 May 2010, coming on as a 41st-minute substitute for Dean Jarvis.[25] Blake made his U21 debut on 3 September 2010, coming on as an 86th-minute substitute for Paddy McLaughlin in a 4–0 2011 European U21 Championship qualifying victory over San Marino.[24] He made his second U21 appearance in a friendly against Wales on 9 February 2011, starting the match and playing an hour before being substituted.[26][27]

Career statistics

As of match played 10 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 2009–10[5] League One 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2010–11[28] League One 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Woking (loan) 2010–11[10] Conference South 3 0 1 0 — — 4 0
Ebbsfleet United (loan) 2010–11[10] Conference South 11 0 — — 1[a] 0 12 0
Farnborough (loan) 2011–12[10] Conference South 4 1 — — 1[a] 0 5 1
Hampton & Richmond Borough (loan) 2011–12[7] Conference South 3 0 — — — 3 0
Ebbsfleet United 2012–13[7] Conference Premier 8 0 0 0 — 0 0 8 0
Total 19 0 0 0 — 1 0 20 0
Kingstonian 2014–15[20] Isthmian League Premier Division 4 0 2 0 — 2[b] 0 8 0
Virginia Water 2020–21[21] Hellenic League Premier Division 5 0 1 0 — 7[c] 0 13 0
2021–22[29] Combined Counties League Premier Division North 14 0 0 0 — 1[d] 0 15 0
2022–23[29] Combined Counties League Premier Division North 22 0 0 0 — 2[e] 0 25 0
2023–24[29] Combined Counties League Premier Division North 20 0 1 0 — 8[f] 0 29 0
2024–25[30] Combined Counties League Premier Division North 2 0 1 0 — 0 0 3 0
Total 63 0 3 0 — 18 0 84 0
Virginia Water Reserves 2021–22[31] Surrey Premier County League 1 0 — — — 1 0
Career total 98 1 6 0 0 0 21 0 125 1
  1. ^ a b Appearance in FA Trophy
  2. ^ 1 appearance in Isthmian League Cup, 1 appearance in Surrey Senior Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in Hellenic League Challenge Cup
  4. ^ Appearance in Southern Combination Challenge Cup
  5. ^ 2 appearances in Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup, 1 appearance in Southern Combination Challenge Cup
  6. ^ 4 appearances in Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup, 2 appearances in Southern Combination Challenge Cup, 2 appearances in FA Vase

References

  1. ^ "Ryan Blake". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  2. ^ Ryan Blake at Soccerbase Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ Murtagh, Jacob (28 April 2010). "Brentford youngster Ryan Blake eyes first-team spot". Get West London. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Ryan Blake Player Profile". ESPN FC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Games played by Ryan Blake in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  6. ^ a b Murtagh, Jacob (29 May 2011). "Blake will benefit from Bees development squad, says Ose". Get West London. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e Ryan Blake at Soccerway. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  8. ^ "Two Players Sign From Brentford". Woking FC Official Site. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  9. ^ Cawdell, Luke (11 January 2011). "Ebbsfleet United clinch loan signing of Brentford defender Ryan Blake ahead of Hampton & Richmond clash". Kentonline.co.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d "Ryan Blake Profile". Aylesbury United FC. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  11. ^ "Bees' Blake in Boro loan deal". Sky Sports. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  12. ^ Street, Tim (19 January 2012). "Hampton sign Brentford defender on loan". MyLondon. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Games played by Ryan Blake in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  14. ^ "Transfer Tracker: Summer Moves". Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  15. ^ Murtagh, Jacob (1 May 2012). "Lincoln eye Brentford defender". Get West London. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  16. ^ "Ebbsfleet United sign Ryan Blake and Phil Walsh". 1 August 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  17. ^ Ebbsfleet United F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  18. ^ "Blake Signs for Chicks". Pitchero Non League. 5 August 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  19. ^ "Kingstonian boss Williams faces late fitness test worry". Surrey Comet. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  20. ^ a b "Ryan Blake – First Team – Kingstonian FC". kingstonian.com. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  21. ^ a b "Ryan Blake player stats | uhlsport Hellenic League". sunderland.fawsl.com. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  22. ^ Virginia Water F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  23. ^ "Wembley 091021". Virginia Water Football Club. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  24. ^ a b "Ryan Blake". Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats. 5 September 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  25. ^ "Under-19 2010 – Russia-Northern Ireland". UEFA. 4 October 2010. Archived from the original on 4 October 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  26. ^ "Blake caps Ebbsfleet loan with international bow". Kent News. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  27. ^ "U21 Squad Announced To Face Wales". Irishfa.com. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  28. ^ "Games played by Ryan Blake in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  29. ^ a b c "Ryan Blake player stats | Cherry Red Records Combined Counties Football League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  30. ^ "Virginia Water | Appearances | Ryan Blake". Football Web Pages. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  31. ^ "Ryan Blake player stats | The MJM Sports Surrey Premier County Football League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 14 August 2024.