Darren Wrack

Darren Wrack
Personal information
Date of birth (1976-05-05) 5 May 1976
Place of birth Cleethorpes, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1996 Derby County 26 (1)
1996–1998 Grimsby Town 13 (1)
1997 → Shrewsbury Town (loan) 4 (0)
1998–2008 Walsall 336 (46)
2008–2010 Kettering Town 64 (1)
2010–2011 Stafford Rangers

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:29, 4 April 2010 (UTC).


Darren Wrack (born 5 May 1976 in Cleethorpes) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He notably played in the Football League for Walsall where he made over 380 league and cup appearances, scoring 52 goals from 1998 until 2008. He also represented Derby County, Grimsby Town, Shrewsbury Town, Kettering Town and Stafford Rangers.

Career

Derby County

Wrack began his career as a trainee at Derby County in 1994, and made his debut for The Rams under Jim Smith. Although used as a fringe player in his time at The Baseball Ground Wrack made over 30 league and cup appearances, most as a substitute, in his two seasons.[1][2] In his final season with the club Derby earned promotion to the Premier League, however he would depart the club in the summer of 1996.

Grimsby Town

Wrack returned home to Cleethorpes and signed with his home town club Grimsby Town in July 1996 for a fee of £100,000. He was handed his Mariners debut by player-manager Brian Laws on 17 August 1996 when he came on as a 78th minute replacement for Neil Woods in Town's 3–1 home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Grimsby were relegated from the First Division at the end of the 1996–97 season with Wrack featuring 11 times for The Mariners, scoring once in a 1–1 away draw with Reading. During the same season Wrack also spent a month on loan at Shrewsbury Town in 1997.[1][2] During the 1997–98 season with the club now under the tenure of Alan Buckley Wrack failed to make an impact in the first team with the likes of Kevin Donovan, Tommy Widdrington and Paul Groves favoured over Wrack and the likes of Nicky Southall. Wrack would only feature twice for The Mariners under Buckley this season, a Football League Trophy victory over Hull City and a league defeat to Northampton Town. Grimsby earned promotion back to the First Division via the play-offs as well as winning the Football League Trophy in a Wembley double, however Wrack did not feature in either occasions.

Walsall

Wrack was signed from Grimsby by Walsall boss Ray Graydon on a free transfer in July 1998[3] and made over 380 appearances, scoring 52 goal, during his ten years with Walsall,[2] despite being out for a year due to a broken leg suffered against Yeovil Town in September 2005.[4][5] He helped the club to two promotions from the Second Division (now League One) in 1999 and 2001,[6][7] and to win the League Two title in 2007.[8][9]

Kettering Town

Wrack was released by Walsall at the end of the 2007–08 season and joined Kettering Town in July 2008.[1] During the 2009–10 season Kettering and Wrack were involved in a run in the FA Cup in which they were finally defeated in a replay by Leeds United in the second round. Wrack was released by Kettering at the end of the season.

Stafford Rangers

Wrack signed a contract for Conference North side Stafford Rangers in September 2010. In January 2011 he announced his retirement from the game.

Retirement

Wrack now works as a football scout.[10] Wrack now works the scouting and recruitment manager UK for Brighton & Hove Albion FC and has been there since April 2012

Honours

Club

Walsall

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kettering sign midfielder Wrack". BBC Sport. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 "Darren Wrack". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  3. ↑ "Forest boss facing striker crisis; double signing for Saddlers.". Birmingham Evening Mail (England). 5 August 1998. Retrieved 5 July 2008. "Ray Graydon has snapped-up Darren Wrack from Grimsby and Jason Brissett from Bournemouth. Both players have been signed on free contracts. ... "
  4. ↑ "Wrack undergoes ligament surgery". BBC Sport. 14 September 2005. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  5. ↑ "Saddlers' Wrack glad to be back". BBC Sport. 8 November 2006. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  6. ↑ "Up where we belong! Graydon upsets the odds to take Walsall into Division One.". Birmingham Evening Mail (England). 19 May 1999. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  7. ↑ "Walsall break Reading hearts". BBC Sport. 27 May 2001. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  8. ↑ "Swindon 1–1 Walsall". BBC Sport. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  9. ↑ "Promoted Walsall's open top tour". BBC Sport. 8 May 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  10. ↑ http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/sport/Cleethorpes-born-Wrack-hangs-boots/article-3080354-detail/article.html
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