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1990-1995
DATE OF BIRTH Tuesday, 30th November 1971
PLACE OF BIRTH Rinteln, West Germany
DEBUT Saturday, 4th April 1992 in a 2-1 win at home to West Ham United (Aged: 20)
CLUB CAREER 18 League apps (+11 as sub), 2 goals
Chelsea paid non-league Wokingham Town £100, 000 to seal the signature of 18-year-old Darren
Barnard in July 1990. A complete unknown, signed at a time when the Blues were attempting to
boost their standing in the First Division with the expensive purchases of Dennis Wise and Andy
Townsend, Darren was forced to wait almost two years for his first-team debut. Comfortable
playing anywhere along the left-flank, his first appearance was as a replacement for Vinnie Jones
in a 2-1 win over West Ham towards the end of the 1991/92 season, and after two further
substitute appearances he was rewarded with his first start, it coming in a disappointing 3-1
defeat at Aston Villa. Manager Ian Porterfield resisted the opportunity to include Barnard in his
side at the beginning of the following campaign, preferring to play Gareth Hall out of position in
the absence of regular left-back Frank Sinclair, and with the exception of an outing at Coventry in
October it wasn't until the final three months of the campaign - after David Webb was drafted in to
replace Porterfield for the remainder of the season - that Darren became a regular fixture. Given
the freedom to roam on the left of Chelsea's midfield, he impressed with a number of cultured
displays, the best of which came against Middlesbrough when he tormented Boro's right-back
Curtis Fleming to such an extent that the Irishman's revenge led to Barnard missing the following
match with a cut shin. He scored his first goal for the club that day, in what was a 4-0 win, and
could look back with pride on a record that season of eight starts resulting in five wins, two
draws and just a single defeat. However, new manager Glenn Hoddle remained unconvinced and
Darren was restricted to only nine starts in 1993/94, primarily as a left-back. An awful league
campaign was compensated for by a run to the final of the FA Cup, and although he didn't feature
in the final itself, Darren did play in the semi-final victory over Luton after replacing the injured
Craig Burley late in the first-half. He struck his only goal of the season in a 2-0 defeat of West Ham
in March, and his final appearance for the club came six weeks later when he was selected for a
weakened side that were beaten by Coventry as Hoddle chose to protect his likely cup final team.
Despite remaining with the club for a further 18 months, Darren failed to reappear in the
first-team, eventually joining Bristol City in October 1995 for a fee of £750, 000, a move which
proved to be a launching pad for his career, as he went on to become a full international in the
colours of Wales.
DATE OF BIRTH Tuesday, 30th November 1971
PLACE OF BIRTH Rinteln, West Germany
DEBUT Saturday, 4th April 1992 in a 2-1 win at home to West Ham United (Aged: 20)
CLUB CAREER 18 League apps (+11 as sub), 2 goals
Chelsea paid non-league Wokingham Town £100, 000 to seal the signature of 18-year-old Darren
Barnard in July 1990. A complete unknown, signed at a time when the Blues were attempting to
boost their standing in the First Division with the expensive purchases of Dennis Wise and Andy
Townsend, Darren was forced to wait almost two years for his first-team debut. Comfortable
playing anywhere along the left-flank, his first appearance was as a replacement for Vinnie Jones
in a 2-1 win over West Ham towards the end of the 1991/92 season, and after two further
substitute appearances he was rewarded with his first start, it coming in a disappointing 3-1
defeat at Aston Villa. Manager Ian Porterfield resisted the opportunity to include Barnard in his
side at the beginning of the following campaign, preferring to play Gareth Hall out of position in
the absence of regular left-back Frank Sinclair, and with the exception of an outing at Coventry in
October it wasn't until the final three months of the campaign - after David Webb was drafted in to
replace Porterfield for the remainder of the season - that Darren became a regular fixture. Given
the freedom to roam on the left of Chelsea's midfield, he impressed with a number of cultured
displays, the best of which came against Middlesbrough when he tormented Boro's right-back
Curtis Fleming to such an extent that the Irishman's revenge led to Barnard missing the following
match with a cut shin. He scored his first goal for the club that day, in what was a 4-0 win, and
could look back with pride on a record that season of eight starts resulting in five wins, two
draws and just a single defeat. However, new manager Glenn Hoddle remained unconvinced and
Darren was restricted to only nine starts in 1993/94, primarily as a left-back. An awful league
campaign was compensated for by a run to the final of the FA Cup, and although he didn't feature
in the final itself, Darren did play in the semi-final victory over Luton after replacing the injured
Craig Burley late in the first-half. He struck his only goal of the season in a 2-0 defeat of West Ham
in March, and his final appearance for the club came six weeks later when he was selected for a
weakened side that were beaten by Coventry as Hoddle chose to protect his likely cup final team.
Despite remaining with the club for a further 18 months, Darren failed to reappear in the
first-team, eventually joining Bristol City in October 1995 for a fee of £750, 000, a move which
proved to be a launching pad for his career, as he went on to become a full international in the
colours of Wales.
| Other Chelsea Left Backs |
| DARREN BARNARD |