Dave Martin (footballer born 1985)
Encyclopedia
David John "Dave" Martin (born 3 June 1985) is an English
footballer, who plays for Derby County
. He plays in midfield
.
before moving to Kent
based Slade Green
and then Dartford
. Martin's time at Dartford proved productive, scoring 14 goals in 68 appearances and attracting the attention of Championship
club Crystal Palace
, who he joined for £25,000 in January 2007. Martin made his debut for Crystal Palace
as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Southend United
at Roots Hall
on in February 2007 but only spent a year at Selhurst Park
, where a thigh strain and managerial changes meant he was restricted to just 14 appearances, primarily as substitute, before making the switch to Millwall
for an initial fee of £
50,000, rising to £100,000 depending on appearances.
on 9 February 2008, before scoring a goal in each of his next two games – a 2–1 victory over Southend United
and a 3–0 win over Port Vale
and finishing the season with 11 appearances and two goals. Martin's first full season at Millwall
saw him become a fixture of Kenny Jackett
's first team, missing only three games (all through suspension) as Millwall reached the League One Playoff Final at Wembley Stadium
, where they lost 3–2 to Scunthorpe United
. His form attracted interest from Championship
side Cardiff City
, but Martin remained at Millwall for the 2009–10 season and played 21 times in the league, scoring three goals. As he was entering the final year of his contract, Millwall offered Martin a new deal, which was rejected, prompting Jackett to state "We haven’t been able to get Dave to sign a new contract this year, so unfortunately halfway through the season we have to take what we can because we would lose him for nothing in the summer. From our point of view there is an offer of a contract on the table for the player. It obviously hasn't been accepted and he isn’t going to sign it, so the next thing is after that if there is a bid then reluctantly we will take it." An offer from Championship side Derby County
, who he had impressed when playing against in both ties of the clubs FA Cup Third Round meeting, followed, with Derby boss Nigel Clough
attempting to sign Martin in a £150,000 deal at the end of the January transfer window
. Although the deal fell through, Clough intimated a desire to make a fresh approach for Martin with the reopening of the emergency loan window on 9 February.
and came on as a late sub in their 3–0 win. Martin made one start and a further eight substitute appearances before the close of the season and Clough confirmed in an interview after a defeat at Bristol City
that Martin would sign for the club permanently in the summer. He scored his first goal for the club on the final day of the season with the second goal in a 2–0 win over Cardiff City
and formally completed his move to The Rams on 1 June 2010, signing a two-year deal. However, Martin failed to break into the Derby first team and after just two substitute appearances in his first six months he moved to League One
side Notts County
on a month's loan. His loan spell, however was cut short due to an abductor strain injury. He played three times for Notts, twice in the league and once in the FA Cup. He rejoined Notts on a two month loan on 24 February 2011. Martin returned to Derby on 24 April 2011, after making 11 appearances for Notts. On 13 September 2011, Martin joined League One side Walsall
on a months loan. He made five appearances for The Saddlers, which included a red card in his last game against Preston North End
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer, who plays for Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. He plays in midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
.
Early career
Martin was spotted at the age of 10 by Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
before moving to Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
based Slade Green
Slade Green F.C.
Slade Green F.C. is a football club based in Slade Green in the London Borough of Bexley, England. They were established in 1946 and played in the Kent League from 1970 until 2009.-History:...
and then Dartford
Dartford F.C.
Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...
. Martin's time at Dartford proved productive, scoring 14 goals in 68 appearances and attracting the attention of Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, who he joined for £25,000 in January 2007. Martin made his debut for Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
at Roots Hall
Roots Hall
Roots Hall is a multi-use sports stadium in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, primarily used for football games and is the home of the Football League Two club Southend United. With a capacity of 12,392 Roots Hall is the largest football stadium in Essex, and is the current venue for the final of...
on in February 2007 but only spent a year at Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
, where a thigh strain and managerial changes meant he was restricted to just 14 appearances, primarily as substitute, before making the switch to Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
for an initial fee of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
50,000, rising to £100,000 depending on appearances.
Millwall
Martin made his Millwall debut in the 2–0 defeat away to Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on 9 February 2008, before scoring a goal in each of his next two games – a 2–1 victory over Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
and a 3–0 win over Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
and finishing the season with 11 appearances and two goals. Martin's first full season at Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
saw him become a fixture of Kenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett
Kenny Jackett is a former Wales international football player, who has since moved into management. He is the current manager of Millwall, the longest serving manager in the Football League Championship and eleventh longest serving manager in England.A skilful player, equally at home in defence or...
's first team, missing only three games (all through suspension) as Millwall reached the League One Playoff Final at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, where they lost 3–2 to Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. His form attracted interest from Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, but Martin remained at Millwall for the 2009–10 season and played 21 times in the league, scoring three goals. As he was entering the final year of his contract, Millwall offered Martin a new deal, which was rejected, prompting Jackett to state "We haven’t been able to get Dave to sign a new contract this year, so unfortunately halfway through the season we have to take what we can because we would lose him for nothing in the summer. From our point of view there is an offer of a contract on the table for the player. It obviously hasn't been accepted and he isn’t going to sign it, so the next thing is after that if there is a bid then reluctantly we will take it." An offer from Championship side Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, who he had impressed when playing against in both ties of the clubs FA Cup Third Round meeting, followed, with Derby boss Nigel Clough
Nigel Clough
Nigel Howard Clough is an English former footballer and the current manager of Derby County. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder, Clough was capped by England 14 times in the early 1990s....
attempting to sign Martin in a £150,000 deal at the end of the January transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
. Although the deal fell through, Clough intimated a desire to make a fresh approach for Martin with the reopening of the emergency loan window on 9 February.
Derby County
Martin signed for Derby on loan until the end of the 2009–10 season on 9 February 2010, with a view to a permanent move on expiration of his Millwall contract. He went straight into the squad for Derby's league game against Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and came on as a late sub in their 3–0 win. Martin made one start and a further eight substitute appearances before the close of the season and Clough confirmed in an interview after a defeat at Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
that Martin would sign for the club permanently in the summer. He scored his first goal for the club on the final day of the season with the second goal in a 2–0 win over Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
and formally completed his move to The Rams on 1 June 2010, signing a two-year deal. However, Martin failed to break into the Derby first team and after just two substitute appearances in his first six months he moved to League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
on a month's loan. His loan spell, however was cut short due to an abductor strain injury. He played three times for Notts, twice in the league and once in the FA Cup. He rejoined Notts on a two month loan on 24 February 2011. Martin returned to Derby on 24 April 2011, after making 11 appearances for Notts. On 13 September 2011, Martin joined League One side Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
on a months loan. He made five appearances for The Saddlers, which included a red card in his last game against Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
.