To understand the importance of David Batty, you really have to come from Yorkshire. As down-to-earth as a subterranean grouter, his approach was summed up in the penalty shoot-out that did for England in the 1998 World Cup. Batty missed, of course, but there was no pizza advert as with Gareth Southgate, no tears and six-year wait for an exorcism as with Stuart Pearce. Batty just poked out his tongue and walked back to the halfway line. "I thought I'd score," he said bluntly afterwards. "I knew he'd miss," his dad added. An underrated player with a joyous economy of ambition, his goals were celebrated as titles.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 December 1968 (1968-12-02) | ||
| Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfield | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Leeds United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1987-1993 | Leeds United | 211 | (4) |
| 1993-1996 | Blackburn Rovers | 54 | (1) |
| 1996-1998 | Newcastle United | 83 | (3) |
| 1998-2004 | Leeds United | 90 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1988-1989 | England U21 | 7 | (1) |
| 1989-1992 | England B | 5 | (0) |
| 1991-1999 | England | 42 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||