![]() Darby playing for Rochdale in 2011
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Stephen Mark Darby | ||
Date of birth | 6 October 1988 | ||
Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
Playing position | Right back | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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Bradford City | ||
Number | 2 | ||
Youth career | |||
–2006 | Liverpool | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2006–2012 | Liverpool | 1 | (0) |
2010 | → Swindon Town (loan) | 12 | (0) |
2010–2011 | → Notts County (loan) | 22 | (0) |
2011–2012 | → Rochdale (loan) | 35 | (0) |
2012– | Bradford City | 189 | (0) |
National team | |||
2007–2008 | England U19 | 2 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:59, 19 December 2016 (UTC). |
Stephen Mark Darby (born 6 October 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays for Bradford City as a right-back. Darby has represented England at under-19 level. He was part of the Bradford team that famously reached the 2013 Football League Cup Final. He has since reached over 200 appearances for the club and captained the side for two seasons.
Darby was brought up in Maghull, where he attended St John Boscos primary school and Maricourt Roman Catholic High School.
On 18 July 2006 Liverpool's official site announced that five academy players have been promoted to Melwood, Stephen was one of them. Darby played in Liverpool's FA Youth Cup winning teams in 2006 and 2007 that defeated Manchester City and Manchester United's academies in the finals respectively, captaining the team in the 2006 final. He was first selected for the Liverpool squad which played Turkish side Galatasaray in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League in December 2006, but he was an unused substitute in that match. Despite being on the first team bench he didn't forget his roots and after a four-hour flight from Istanbul to Liverpool he went straight to The Hawthorns and played a full game including extra-time to help the youth team through to the fourth round.
During 2007–08 season Darby was the captain of Liverpool's reserves team that ended the campaign as northern and national champions. His performances earned him praises from manager Gary Ablett calling him 'Mr. Consistency'.
His first appearance in a competitive match was as a substitute in Liverpool's League Cup fourth round defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in November 2008.