David Batty

Lore & Background

Batty was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire. He made his debut for Leeds in November 1987 as an 18-year-old during a 4–2 win over Swindon Town. He was part of the Leeds team that won promotion from the Second Division in 1989–90 and the First Division championship in 1991–92. He moved to Blackburn Rovers in October 1993 for £2.75 million, then to Newcastle United in 1996 for £3.75 million, and returned to Leeds United in December 1998 for £4.4 million. He retired in May 2004 after being released by Leeds.

Reader's Guide

Batty was a fiercely competitive defensive midfielder known for breaking up opposition attacks and distributing the ball well. He lacked goalscoring, as evidenced by fans shouting 'shoot' when he had the ball. He suffered a broken foot that limited him to five games in Blackburn's 1994–95 title-winning season and refused a winner's medal. At Newcastle, he provided midfield bite as the club finished runners-up in the league twice (1995–96 and 1996–97), though he joined in 1996 so was not part of the 1995–96 finish. He started the 1998 FA Cup Final. In his return to Leeds, he helped the team qualify for the Champions League and reach semi-finals of the UEFA Cup and Champions League. His final game was against Newcastle United on 7 January 2004.

Did You Know?

• He was sent off in his final England appearance, a 0–0 draw with Poland in 1999.
• After retirement, former teammates said Batty cared little for football and saw it as a job he did because he was good at it.