33 Facts About Nathan Blake

Nathan Blake was born on 27 January 1972 and is a Welsh former professional footballer, pundit and television presenter.

Nathan Blake notably played in the Premier League for Sheffield United, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Nathan Blake played in the Football League for Cardiff City, Leicester City and Leeds United before retiring with non-league side Newport County.

Nathan Blake was capped 30 times by Wales, scoring four goals.

Nathan Blake has previously been capped at U21 and B team level.

Nathan Blake was relegated from the Premier League on a joint record of five occasions.

Nathan Blake was born in Cardiff and grew up nearby on the Ringland estate in Newport, Wales.

Nathan 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.

Nathan Blake's uncle Clive Sullivan was a rugby league international.

Nathan Blake was a trainee at Chelsea but was released in 1990, without graduating to the first team.

Nathan Blake scored five goals in the remainder of Sheffield United's top flight campaign, but could not halt relegation.

Nathan Blake 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.

Nathan Blake failed to make an immediate impact at Bolton Wanderers and only managed one league goal as they dropped out of the Premier League after a solitary season.

Nathan Blake, who had a strained relationship with Blackburn manager Graeme Souness, was offered the chance to stay and fight for a place in the side but decided to accept the transfer.

Nathan Blake's final crack at the Premier League was hindered by a year of niggling injuries that kept him sidelined for the majority of the games.

Nathan Blake managed just one goal, against Newcastle United, from 13 appearances as the club proved unable to survive.

Nathan Blake was released by Wolves upon their relegation in 2004, after making 85 appearances, scoring 26 times in all competitions.

Nathan Blake joined fellow relegated club Leicester City on a one-year contract after having had a trial at Sunderland.

Nathan Blake's loan was cut short by a ruptured hamstring and he returned to Leicester, but did not feature again before being released by the club in June 2005.

Nathan Blake refused to play for Wales team manager Bobby Gould after accusing Gould of making a racist comment in training.

Nathan Blake set the unfortunate record of being the first Welsh player to score an international goal at Wales' Millennium Stadium when he put through his own net against Finland on 29 March 2000.

Nathan Blake announced his retirement in September 2004, ten months after playing his final match in the Euro 2004 play-off loss to Russia.

On 27 January 2012, following several race related scandals in the English game, Nathan Blake came out to say whilst he was a player he was sent a racially motivated death threat after withdrawing from a Wales squad.

Nathan Blake won the award for Best Supporting Actor at Film Fest Cymru 2014 for his role in short film The Homing Bird, in which he plays a football coach.

Nathan Blake had been nominated the previous year in the same category for his debut role in Say It.

In 2014 Nathan Blake graduated from the FA-funded Corporate Governance course On Board, aimed at getting more ex-professionals and more diverse backgrounds represented on football boards.

In 2015 Nathan Blake returned to Newport County for five months as a non-executive Director advising on football decisions, including the appointment of a permanent successor to Justin Edinburgh.

Nathan Blake remained at the club until the Supporters Trust took control of the club later in the year.

Nathan Blake has been a bit of a figure on the issue of race in football.

In October 2020, Nathan Blake criticised former club Newport County for not taking the knee in their League Two fixture against Tranmere Rovers, despite the town having "probably one of the biggest black populations in Great Britain".

Nathan Blake has worked for Wales Online reporting on Cardiff City, BBC Wales, BBC 5 Live, and Sky Sports.

Nathan Blake grew up in the "tough" neighbourhood of Ringland in Newport.

Nathan Blake is involved in a football agency and has three children.