Dexter Blackstock

Dexter Blackstock

Blackstock pictured in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Dexter Anthony Titus Blackstock
Date of birth	(1986-05-20) 20 May 1986
Place of birth	Oxford, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Nottingham Forest
Number	23
Youth career
2002–2003	Oxford United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2006	Southampton	28	(4)
2005	→ Plymouth Argyle (loan)	14	(4)
2005	→ Derby County (loan)	9	(3)
2006–2009	Queens Park Rangers	109	(30)
2009	→ Nottingham Forest (loan)	6	(2)
2009–	Nottingham Forest	125	(32)
International career‡
2004	England U18	1	(0)
2004–2005	England U19	4	(0)
2007–2008	England U21	2	(0)
2012–	Antigua and Barbuda	4	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:00, 30 December 2012 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:42, 17 October 2012 (UTC)

Dexter Anthony Titus Blackstock (born 20 May 1986) is a footballer who plays as a striker for Football League Championship club Nottingham Forest, having previously played for Oxford United, Southampton, Plymouth Argyle, Derby County and Queens Park Rangers. Having represented England at youth international level, Blackstock went on to play for the Antigua and Barbuda national team; he qualified through his grandfather, who was born in Antigua.

Playing career

Southampton

Born in Oxford, he came through the Oxford United youth system and was then signed by Southampton, who had to pay United compensation of £275,000 as a result. Due to an injury crisis he was brought into the Southampton first team, where he scored a hat-trick against Colchester United in the League Cup in 2004. He then scored in the local derby against Portsmouth in Southampton's 2–1 win, thus establishing himself in the squad.

He was sent out on loan twice; to Plymouth Argyle in February 2005 for twelve weeks, scoring 4 goals in 14 appearances, and to Derby County in October 2005, scoring 3 goals in 9 appearances. He was recalled from Derby on 22 December 2005 after the appointment of George Burley as Southampton manager.

On 18 February 2006 he played in goal for the final ten minutes of the FA Cup fifth round tie against Newcastle United. An injury to Bartosz Bialkowski and with Southampton having used all three substitutes, meant that Blackstock had to take over.

Although Blackstock had featured regularly under Burley, Southampton's purchase of Bradley Wright-Phillips meant that Blackstock had more competition for a role in Southampton's first team. As a result, Blackstock moved to Queens Park Rangers on 10 August 2006 for a fee believed to be around £500,000.

Queens Park Rangers

The £500,000 transfer fee that Gary Waddock paid for Blackstock’s services raised a few eyebrows, but, unlike most of Waddock’s other signings, Blackstock went on to prove any doubters wrong.

Given the number 32 shirt for the 2006–07 season, Blackstock was first choice striker throughout the season and played with a number of different partners, including Kevin Gallen, Paul Furlong and Marc Nygaard. Somewhat surprisingly however, the teenager Ray Jones was Blackstock’s most regular partner as they struck up a good understanding with a combination of pace and power.

As the season progressed so did Blackstock, and it was in the final stages of the season that his performances started to blossom. Throughout the campaign his work effort was fantastic, but he had displayed a worrying sign of missing one-on-one’s in the early stages of his QPR career. These worries soon disappeared and a fantastic goal against Preston North End was the highlight of the season. Receiving a ball from Marc Nygaard in a left back position, Blackstock chested the ball down and volleyed it with his left foot into the top corner from 30 yards.

Blackstock ended the campaign as club top scorer on 14 goals, one short of his personal target of 15. He came second in the player of the season awards, and his goal against Preston won goal of the season.

After scoring just six in 2007–08, Blackstock returned to form in 2008–09, and by the end of January had scored 12 goals in all competitions.

Nottingham Forest

Blackstock celebrates after scoring a goal for Nottingham Forest against Cardiff City

On 26 March 2009 it was announced that Blackstock had signed for Nottingham Forest on loan until the end of the season, with an undisclosed fee agreed should Forest avoid relegation. Blackstock subsequently made his debut for Forest against Barnsley on 4 April 2009 at Oakwell, scoring his first goal, the winner, for the club against Bristol City in a dramatic 3–2 win at the City Ground on 11 April 2009.

On 22 July 2009, Blackstock signed a 4 year contract with Nottingham Forest for a seven figure fee. He scored his first goal of the season when he notched in a first round Football League Cup win over Bradford City on 12 August 2009. He scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season in a 1–1 draw against newly-promoted side Leeds United.

On 20 November 2010 Blackstock suffered serious knee ligament damage after scoring the second goal in Forests 2–0 win at Cardiff City and was subsequently sidelined for 12 months. He made his comeback in a friendly against York City on 14 November 2011 and scored along with Paul Anderson another long term injured player.

In August 2011, there was reported interest from Blackpool in Blackstock.

He scored both goals, his first ones back after being injured, in a 2–1 win against Birmingham City on 25 February 2012.

Despite interest from Leeds United, he signed a new four and a half year contract with Forest on 24 January 2013.

International career

On 16 August 2007, Blackstock was called up to Stuart Pearce's first England under-21 squad as full time manager. In the match against Montenegro on 7 September, he came on as a substitute on 90 minutes and headed the ball down for Andrew Surman to score the final goal in a 3–0 victory.

Blackstock made his senior international appearance for Antigua and Barbuda in a 4–0 friendly defeat to Trinidad & Tobago on 29 February 2012. He scored his first goal on 12 October 2012 in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against United States.

International goals

Scores and results list Antigua and Barbuda's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	12 October 2012	Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound	United States	1–1	1–2	2014 World Cup qualifier

Career statistics

Club

Club	Season	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Southampton	2004–05	9	1	0	0	2	4	-	-	11	5
	2005–06	19	3	3	0	2	1	-	-	22	4
	Total	28	4	3	0	4	5	-	-	35	9
Plymouth Argyle (loan)	2004–05	14	4	0	0	0	0	-	-	14	4
	Total	14	4	0	0	0	0	-	-	14	4
Derby County (loan)	2005–06	9	3	0	0	0	0	-	-	9	3
	Total	9	3	0	0	0	0	-	-	9	3
Queens Park Rangers	2006–07	39	13	2	1	1	0	-	-	42	14
	2007–08	35	6	1	0	0	0	-	-	36	6
	2008–09	36	11	1	0	2	1	-	-	39	12
	Total	109	30	4	1	3	1	-	-	116	32
Nottingham Forest	2008–09	6	2	0	0	0	0	-	-	6	2
	2009–10	39	12	1	0	3	1	2	0	45	13
	2010–11	17	5	0	0	1	0	0	0	18	5
	2011–12	22	8	2	0	0	0	-	-	24	8
	2012–13	37	6	1	0	1	1	-	-	39	7
	Total	131	33	4	0	5	2	2	0	142	35
Career total		281	74	11	1	12	8	2	0	306	83

International

Antigua and Barbuda
Year	Apps	Goals
2012	4	1
2013	0	0
Total	4	1

Outside interests

In 2009, Blackstock opened a football school for children aged from six to fourteen.

External links

• Dexter Blackstock – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Dexter Blackstock Soccer School
• Dexter Blackstock player profile at qpr.co.uk
• Dexter Blackstock player profile at saintsfc.co.uk
• Dexter Blackstock Official Website at officialplayerwebsites.com
• England FA profile
• Dexter Blackstock at Soccerbase