David Ball (footballer)

David Ball

Ball playing for Peterborough United in 2012
Personal information
Full nameDavid Michael Ball[1]
Date of birth14 December 1989
Place of birthWhitefield, England
Height1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Fleetwood Town
Number23
Youth career
2007–2009Manchester City
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2009–2011Manchester City0(0)
2010–2011→ Swindon Town (loan)18(2)
2011–2012Peterborough United41(9)
2011–2012→ Rochdale (loan)14(3)
2012–Fleetwood Town87(21)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:33, 25 February 2015 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

David Michael Ball (born 14 December 1989) is an English footballer who plays for Fleetwood Town as a striker.

Career

Ball joined the youth system at Manchester City in 2007,[2] battling back from a foot injury at the end of his teenager years.[3] A star of the youth and reserve sides he scored in the 2008 final of the FA Youth Cup, which City won,[4] and being joint fifth top scorer in the 2008–09 Premier Reserve League and joint second top scorer in the 2009–10 Premier Reserve League.

He was loaned out to League One club Swindon Town in July 2010 for six months, in order to gain first team experience and join the team in their pre-season tour of Austria.[5] This came despite interest from other clubs.[6] He made his league debut on 7 August 2010 in a 2–1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, but was replaced by Alan O'Brien after sixty minutes for tactical reasons.[7] He signed a permanent deal for Peterborough United on 31 January 2011 for a transfer fee of £50,000.

The first game of the 2011–12 season was against Crystal Palace at home posh went behind but McCann scored to put them level and then David Ball scored to earn Posh three points.

On 31 August Ball joined Rochdale on loan until 1 January 2012. Peterborough recalled Ball after a month of his loan spell at Rochdale.

On 17 January 2012, Uwe Rosler admitted to declaring interest in a striker to boalster his strikers in an attempt to get more goals after Brentford had only scored 31 goals in 26 league games so far in the season. The loan signing was cancelled and Ball appeared for Peterborough in their home match against Brighton on 21 January, scoring in the 72nd minute.

On 23 July 2012, Ball signed for newly promoted League 2 side Fleetwood Town on a three-year deal. He struggled to find form under the management of Micky Mellon but began to perform more consistently after Mellon's sacking, and the appointment of Graham Alexander.

Personal life

Ball's partner gave birth to their first son in October 2011. Ball attended Castlebrook High School where his brother Joel Ball now attends.

Honours

Manchester City

Peterborough United

Fleetwood Town

References

  1. ↑ "Professional retain list & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. 18 May 2013. p. 62. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "Career History". Up The Posh!. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  3. ↑ Scott, Oliver (9 August 2010). "Swindon loanee David Ball gets quizzed by youngsters". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  4. ↑ Mawhinney, Stuart (26 April 2007). "Liverpool retain Youth Cup". thefa.com. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  5. ↑ "Manchester City striker David Ball agrees Swindon loan". BBC Sport. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "Swindon Town are close to signing David Ball". BBC Sport. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  7. ↑ "Swindon 1 – 2 Brighton". BBC Sport. 7 August 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2010.

External links

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