Mark Blake was a famous footballer that appeared for a host of the best club’s around the WestMidlands during his career. His tough tackling persona in the central of midfield made him a warrior and one of the first names on the team sheet throughout his career.
He made over 260 professional appearances in a career that spun over 14 years.He began his career with Aston Villa in 1989 after signing his first professional career following his spell in the youth side. At this time he was heralded as one of the best players in his age group and appeared on nine occasions for the England U21 side. During that time he also scored one goal, but he was never handed a senior call-up due to stiff competition. He went on to make 31 appearances for the Villa over a four year stay with the club. During this time he also scored two goals.
He was loaned out to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1991 for the season but only managed to make two appearances. In 1993, he was sold to Portsmouth for a fee of around £400,000. He played 15 times for Pompey before returning to the Midlands with Leicester City in 1994. He signed in March and quickly played his part in their promotion to the Premier League.He stayed for two years at the Foxes, before dropping down the divisions to sign for Walsall andthen Mansfield Town. He ended his career in the Midlands with Kidderminster Harriers, with his final season coming in the 2001-02 season.