Darren Young (New Zealand footballer)

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Darren Young
Personal information
Full name Darren Young
Date of birth (1981-02-28) 28 February 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth Whitehaven, United Kingdom
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position Right back / Left back
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1999 Waitakere City 36 (12)
1999–2002 Barnsley 0 (0)
2002–2004 Football Kingz [1] 15
2002–2004 → Waitakere City (loan) 9 (0)
2003 Auckland City 4 (2)
2004 Barnsley 1 (0)
2005 Limerick 11 (1)
2006 Waterford United 33 (0)
2007–2009 Athlone Town 31 (3)
2010 Mervue United 11 (0)
2011 Athlone Town 4
International career
2001 New Zealand U-20 4 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Darren Young (born 28 February 1981) is a New Zealand former professional footballer who played as a defender.

His career included time at Barnsley, Football Kingz, Waterford United and Athlone Town. He also represented New Zealand at under-20 level. [2] [3]

Darren Young was born in Whitehaven in Cumbria. At the age of 11, he emigrated with his family to Auckland where he played football for New Zealand Schoolboys. [3] [4]

Young started his senior career as a 17 year old playing for Waitakere City. [5] [6] In this season he became you youngest player to play in the Chatham Cup final since 1972. [7] [ better source needed ] He was spotted by Barnsley and returned to the UK at the age of 18. [3] Young decided to leave Oakwell in 2002, turning down a chance to stay in England with Rochdale and instead returning to New Zealand where he played professionally with Football Kingz. [5] [3]

Young's former manager at Barnsley, Dave Bassett, contacted him about a move to Ireland and he spent five years at Limerick City, Waterford United, Athlone Town and Mervue United before returning to Barnsley with his wife, who is from Ardsley. [5] [3]

He now resides in Dodworth, Barnsley with his wife Claire and his Daughter Emily (13) and son Harry (9). Harry is currently contracted to the Sheffield Wednesday academy, and has been there since the age of 6 years old[ citation needed ]

References

  1. ↑ "Australian Player Database - Y".
  2. ↑ "Oceania U-20 World Cup 2001 Qualifiers".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Grayson, James (19 August 2020). "New Zealand to Dodworth: Darren Young's unusual football path". Non League Yorkshire. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  4. ↑ Penrose, Gareth. "Shelbourne F.C. Official Website". shelbournefc.ie. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 O'Kane, Doug (22 January 2021). "Darren still in Barnsley 22 years after moving from New Zealand to Oakwell". Barnsley Chronicle. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "1999 Chatham Cup Final". www.ultimatenzsoccer.com. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "Athlone Town FC - Darren Young". Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2008.


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