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David Batty

{{Short description|English association football player}}

{{For|the antiques expert|David Battie}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = David Batty

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = David Batty{{Hugman|1152|access-date=4 April 2021}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|12|2|df=y}}

| birth_place = Leeds, England

| height = {{convert|1.73|m|order=flip}}{{cite web |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/243/David-Batty/overview |title=David Batty: Overview |publisher=Premier League |access-date=4 April 2021}}

| position = Defensive midfielder

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1987

| youthclubs1 = Leeds United

| years1 = 1987–1993

| clubs1 = Leeds United

| caps1 = 211

| goals1 = 4

| years2 = 1993–1996

| clubs2 = Blackburn Rovers

| caps2 = 54

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 1996–1998

| clubs3 = Newcastle United

| caps3 = 83

| goals3 = 3

| years4 = 1998–2004

| clubs4 = Leeds United

| caps4 = 90

| goals4 = 0

| totalcaps = 438

| totalgoals = 8

| nationalyears1 = 1988–1989

| nationalteam1 = England U21

| nationalcaps1 = 7

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 1989–1992

| nationalteam2 = England B

| nationalcaps2 = 5

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 1991–1999

| nationalteam3 = England

| nationalcaps3 = 42

| nationalgoals3 = 0

}}

David Batty (born 2 December 1968) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

Batty played for Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. Whilst with Leeds he was part of the team that won the old Football League Second Division and the Football League First Division in its final year before the formation of the Premier League. He would go on to lift that title itself when he was part of the Blackburn team that won the League in 1995, but did not get a medal. In total he made 438 league appearances during a 17-year career, scoring eight goals. He was capped 42 times by the England national team, and represented the nation at UEFA Euro 1992 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Following retirement in 2004, Batty has lived his life away from the media spotlight and very rarely gives interviews about his career. It is well publicised by some of his former teammates that he cared very little for football and merely saw it as a job he did because he was good at it, as opposed to loving the sport.{{cite news |author1=Ciaran Kelly |title=David Batty 'living life to full' and Newcastle and Leeds United favourite's fury at Pizza Hut |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-leeds-david-batty-pizza-25602665 |access-date=21 December 2022 |work=Chronicle |date=25 November 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Alex James |title=The Blackburn Rovers title winner who didn't like football - the curious case of David Batty|url=https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/blackburn-rovers-title-winner-who-18246113 |access-date=21 December 2022 |work=LancsLive |date=14 May 2020}}

Club career

=Leeds United=

Born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire,{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/david-batty-217/ |title=David Batty |website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |access-date=4 April 2021}} Batty made his debut for Leeds in November 1987 as an 18-year-old during a 4–2 win over Swindon Town,{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsunited.com/news/rewind-to-the-1980s-20090523_2247585_1665086|title=Rewind to the 1980s|publisher=Leeds United F.C.|access-date=24 January 2010|date=23 May 2009}} and quickly earned a reputation as a fiercely competitive midfielder in the mould of Leeds legend Billy Bremner. Perceived to be a bit lightweight, to build up Batty's strength Bremner would call him into his office every morning to drink sherry with a raw egg stirred into it.{{Citation|last=Swan|first=Peter|first2=Andrew |last2=Collomosse|title=Swanny: Confessions of a Lower-League Legend|publisher=John Blake|year=2008|isbn=978-1-84454-660-2}} Batty was a key member of the Leeds team that won promotion from the second division in 1989–90, and a member of a midfield which included Gary Speed, Gary McAllister and Gordon Strachan, when Leeds won the first division championship in 1991–92. As a tireless and sometimes ruthless forager of the ball there were few equals, but there was more to his game than simply breaking up opposition attacks; having won the ball, his distribution was excellent, making him the springboard for many counterattacks.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}} If there was one aspect missing from his game it was the lack of goals, as evidenced by cries of "shoot" from Leeds fans when Batty received the ball anywhere within the opponents half.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}}

In October 1993 Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson needed funds to finance the rebuilding of his team, and reluctantly accepted an offer of £2.75 million for Batty from Blackburn Rovers, who were managed by Kenny Dalglish. Wilkinson used the funds to buy Carlton Palmer for £2.6 million eight months later.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-batty-effect-takes-over-at-blackburn-guy-hodgson-on-the-best-and-worst-buys-of-the-season-1431365.html|title=Football: Batty effect takes over at Blackburn: Guy Hodgson on the best and worst buys of the season|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=24 January 2010|date=25 March 1994|author=Guy Hodgson}}

=Blackburn Rovers=

At this point Blackburn were an emerging force in the newly created Premier League with players such as Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton. He suffered a broken foot which ruled him out of the majority of Blackburn's title-winning campaign in 1994–95, only playing five games for them that season. He refused a winners medal at the end of the season, stating that his contribution had been minimal.{{cite book|author1=Bill Borrows|author2=talkSPORT|title=The talkSPORT Book of Premier League Legends|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZgjSH6A86WsC&pg=PT37|date=2 August 2012|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-84983-942-6|pages=37–}} By the following season Batty was available to help Blackburn's Champions League campaign. However, the team failed to reach the lucrative knock-out stages; Batty's contribution to the campaign is best remembered for an incident involving himself and his teammate Graeme Le Saux, when they started fighting each other during the Champions' League game against Spartak Moscow.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/le-saux-and-batty-shame-blackburn-1583335.html |title=Le Saux and Batty shame Blackburn |date=23 November 1995 |access-date=15 August 2014 |newspaper=The Independent}}

In 1996 Batty requested a transfer from Blackburn Rovers, and moved to Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United for £3.75 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/batty-finally-set-for-newcastle-1320850.html|title=Batty finally set for Newcastle|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=24 January 2010|date=24 February 1996|author=Guy Hodgson}}

=Newcastle United=

With Batty providing midfield bite and cover for the defence, Newcastle were able to challenge the dominant team of the day, Manchester United; Newcastle finished up as runners-up in the league to Manchester United twice (1995–96 and 1996–97). Keegan commented that it was not until he worked on the training ground with Batty on a daily basis that he realised just how good a player he was.{{citation needed|date=January 2010}} Batty's work-rate, tackling and unselfish play for the good of the team, therefore allowing the more skilful ball-players to perform, were appreciated by manager, colleagues and fans alike.{{citation needed|date=January 2010}} His first full-season at St. James' Park saw the departure of Keegan, with Kenny Dalglish taking over and guiding the club to another runners-up spot. However, the 1997–98 season was a disappointing one, as Newcastle could only finish 13th. They did however reach the 1998 FA Cup Final, in which Batty started. The arrival of new manager Ruud Gullit in August 1998 marked the start of a team rebuild, and Batty made the move back to Leeds United in December 1998 for £4.4 million.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

=Return to Leeds United=

Batty rejoined a resurgent Leeds team under the management of David O'Leary; O'Leary wanted Batty to provide bite and experience for his youthful side. A rib injury picked up in his first game kept him on the sidelines for some time, but by the end of the 1998–99 season he was a regular in the Leeds team. However, in the early part of the 1999–2000 season he suffered an Achilles tendon injury, and recovery was lengthened by side effects of the drugs he had to take for the heart problems he suffered as a result of the earlier rib injury.{{citation needed|date=January 2010}} This caused him to miss Euro 2000.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

Batty's experience was a key factor in Leeds qualification for the UEFA Champions League, and the cup runs to the semi-finals of both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League; however, when O'Leary was sacked by Leeds in 2002 Batty found himself out of favour with subsequent managers, and in May 2004 he was released by Leeds and retired from football.{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsunited.com/playerarticle.asp?article=203185& |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616082425/http://www.leedsunited.com/playerarticle.asp?article=203185& |archive-date=16 June 2004 |title=Six Departures Confirmed |publisher=Leeds United F.C. |first=Graham |last=Walker |date=14 May 2004 |access-date=2 May 2020}} He was injured in a game against former club Newcastle United on 7 January 2004. This would turn out to be the final game of his career.{{cite web

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3362527.stm

|title=Newcastle 1–0 Leeds

|website=BBC Sport

|date=7 January 2004 |access-date=30 October 2011}}

International career

Batty's performances for Leeds resulted in him making his England debut under Graham Taylor in the 3–0 win against the Soviet Union in May 1991, aged 22. At the time of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Batty was an England regular under Glenn Hoddle, but made limited starts in the four matches England competed in and was notable, along with Paul Ince, for missing a penalty against Argentina which prevented the team from advancing to the quarter-finals.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080709060654/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=95982/index.html David Batty Statistics] FIFA. Retrieved 22 January 2010. In all Batty gained 42 caps, making his final appearance for England in the 0–0 draw with Poland in 1999, where he was sent off in the 84th minute of the game.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/England/MensSeniorTeam/Archive.aspx?p=337619|title=Archive:David Batty|publisher=The Football Association|access-date=24 January 2010}}

Personal life

Since his retirement Batty has featured in 'The Match', in which a team of former professionals faced a team of celebrities in a charity match staged at Newcastle's St James' Park ground.{{cite web|url=http://www.skyone.co.uk/thematch3/|title=Sky One:The Match|publisher=BSkyB|access-date=24 January 2010}}

After retirement, some of Batty's former teammates including Alan Shearer and Jeff Kenna have commented that they didn't think Batty really liked football and that he had no real interest in it, only playing the sport because he was good at it. Shearer commented that he never studied the game or watched other games and that he was always the last one into training and the first one to leave, but regardless of this he was a fierce competitor. Following his retirement in 2004, Batty shunned life in the limelight and was living in Yorkshire, is rarely interviewed and rarely attends functions. Due to Batty's life out of the media spotlight Les Ferdinand recalled rumours that Batty was a Superbike champion under another name or that he was living in a caravan in Filey but stated "The reality is a little more mundane: Batty is simply enjoying a low-key retirement with his family in Yorkshire as he always planned to."

Career statistics

=Club=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{ENFA}}

rowspan="2"|Club

!rowspan="2"|Season

!colspan="3"|League

!colspan="2"|FA Cup

!colspan="2"|League Cup

!colspan="2"|Europe

!colspan="2"|Other

!colspan="2"|Total

DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
rowspan="8"|Leeds United

|1987–88

|Second Division

|23

11000colspan="2"|—2{{efn|name=FMC|Appearance(s) in Full Members' Cup}}0261
1988–89

|Second Division

|30

01030colspan="2"|—1{{efn|name=FMC}}0350
1989–90

|Second Division

|42

01020colspan="2"|—4{{efn|name=FMC}}0490
1990–91

|First Division

|37

06060colspan="2"|—4{{efn|name=FMC}}0530
1991–92

|First Division

|40

20040colspan="2"|—1{{efn|name=FMC}}0452
1992–93

|Premier League

|30

130204{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}}01{{efn|name=CS|Appearance in FA Charity Shield}}0401
1993–94

|Premier League

|9

0colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—90
colspan="2"|Total

!211

4120170401302574
rowspan="4"|Blackburn Rovers

|1993–94

|Premier League

|26

04020colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—320
1994–95

|Premier League

|5

00000000050
1995–96

|Premier League

|23

110405{{efn|name=UCL}}01{{efn|name=CS}}0341
colspan="2"|Total

!54

150605010711
rowspan="5"|Newcastle United

|1995–96

|Premier League

|11

1colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—111
1996–97

|Premier League

|32

130207{{efn|name=UC|Appearances in UEFA Cup}}01{{efn|name=CS}}0451
1997–98

|Premier League

|32

161207{{efn|name=UCL}}0colspan="2"|—472
1998–99

|Premier League

|8

0colspan="2"|—201{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup}}0colspan="2"|—110
colspan="2"|Total

!83

39160150101144
rowspan="7"|Leeds United

|1998–99

|Premier League

|10

000colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—100
1999–2000

|Premier League

|16

000204{{efn|name=UC}}0colspan="2"|—220
2000–01

|Premier League

|16

020008{{efn|name=UCL}}0colspan="2"|—260
2001–02

|Premier League

|36

010106{{efn|name=UC}}0colspan="2"|—440
2002–03

|Premier League

|0

0000000colspan="2"|—00
2003–04

|Premier League

|12

01010colspan="2"|—colspan="2"|—140
colspan="2"|Total

!90

04040180colspan="2"|—1160
colspan="3"|Career total

!438

83013304201505589

{{notelist}}

=International=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year{{Cite news|title=David Batty - International Appearances|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/batty-intl.html}}

National teamYearAppsGoals
rowspan="9"|England

|1991

70
199240
199330
199410
199520
199620
199780
1998100
199950
colspan="2"|Total420

Honours

Leeds United

  • Football League First Division: 1991–92{{cite book |editor-first=Jack |editor-last=Rollin |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1992–93 |year=1992 |publisher=Headline Publishing Group |location=London |isbn=978-0-7472-7905-1 |pages=282–283, 594}}
  • Football League Second Division: 1989–90{{cite book |editor-first=Jack |editor-last=Rollin |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1990–91 |year=1990 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |isbn=978-0-356-17911-7 |pages=302–303, 614}}
  • FA Charity Shield: 1992{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-charity-shield-cantona-offers-no-charity-1539220.html |title=Football / Charity Shield: Cantona offers no charity |first=Norman |last=Fox |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=8 August 1992 |access-date=24 March 2024}}

Newcastle United

  • FA Cup runner-up: 1997–98{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-gunners-train-sights-on-european-glory-1158983.html |title=Football: Gunners train sights on European glory |first=Glenn |last=Moore |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=18 May 1998 |access-date=4 April 2021}}

Individual

  • PFA Team of the Year: 1993–94 Premier League,{{cite book |first=Tony |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |year=1995 |publisher=Random House |location=London |isbn=978-0-09-179135-3 |page=150}} 1996–97 Premier League,{{cite book |editor-first=Barry J. |editor-last=Hugman |title=The 1997–98 Official PFA Footballers Factfile |year=1997 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=Harpenden |isbn=978-1-85291-581-0 |page=317}} 1997–98 Premier League{{cite book |editor-first=Barry J. |editor-last=Hugman |title=The 1998–99 Official PFA Footballers Factfile |year=1998 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=Harpenden |isbn=978-1-85291-588-9 |page=352}}
  • Newcastle United Player of the Year: 1997–98{{cite web|url=https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/latest-news/joelinton-scoops-newcastle-united-player-of-the-year-award/ |title=Joelinton scoops Newcastle United Player of the Year award |first=Rory |last=Mitchinson |publisher=Newcastle United F.C. |date=16 May 2022 |access-date=19 October 2023}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{Soccerbase}}
  • {{Englandstats}}
  • [http://www.wafll.com/loiners/david-batty.html Leeds United statistics]
  • {{NFT player}}
  • [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=3446 Sporting Heroes profile]
  • [http://www.espnfc.com/england/players/battydavid.html ESPN Soccernet profile]

{{Navboxes

| title = England squads

| bg = white

| fg = #CF081F

| bordercolor = #0B0B3F

| list1 =

{{England squad UEFA Euro 1992}}

{{England squad 1998 FIFA World Cup}}

}}

{{Navboxes

| title = Awards

| bg = gold

| fg = navy

| list1 =

{{1993–94 Premier League Team of the Year}}

{{1996–97 Premier League Team of the Year}}

{{1997–98 Premier League Team of the Year}}

{{Leeds United F.C. Player of the Year}}

{{Blackburn Rovers F.C. Player of the Year}}

{{Newcastle United F.C. Player of the Year}}

}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batty, David}}

Category:1968 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Leeds

Category:English men's footballers

Category:England men's under-21 international footballers

Category:England men's B international footballers

Category:England men's international footballers

Category:Men's association football midfielders

Category:Leeds United F.C. players

Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. players

Category:Newcastle United F.C. players

Category:English Football League players

Category:Premier League players

Category:UEFA Euro 1992 players

Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players