Ryan Blake (footballer)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryan George Blake[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 December 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Weybridge, England | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[2] | ||
| Position | 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 | 71 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2010 | Northern Ireland U19 | 1 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Northern Ireland U21 | 3 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:42, 29 April 2026 (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.
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]
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