| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Darren David Powell[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1976-03-10)10 March 1976 (age 49)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Hammersmith, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Crystal Palace (under-21s manager) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Hampton | ||
| 1998–2002 | Brentford | 128 | (6) |
| 2002–2005 | Crystal Palace | 55 | (2) |
| 2004 | →West Ham United (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| 2005–2008 | Southampton | 43 | (2) |
| 2008–2009 | Derby County | 6 | (0) |
| 2009 | Brentford | 4 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Milton Keynes Dons | 24 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Hampton & Richmond Borough | 15 | (0) |
| Total | 280 | (12) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013–2014 | Hampton & Richmond Borough | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Darren David Powell (born 10 March 1976) is an English football manager and former professionalfootballer who played as acentre-back. He is theUnder-21s head coach atCrystal Palace. During his playing career, he appeared over 250 times in theFootball League andPremier League.[2] Powell was known as "a tough-tackling centre-back".[3]
Following his retirement, Powell moved to coaching and managingHampton & Richmond Borough before taking over as an academy coach for Crystal Palace.
Powell began his career withHampton, where he quickly established himself in the starting eleven for the side.[4] His performance attracted interests fromStevenage andHayes before he joinedBrentford for £15,000.[5]
Powell made his debut for Brentford, where he played the whole game, in a 3–0 win overMansfield Town.[6] He started well for the side at the beginning of the season, winning five out of the six matches by the end of August, including scoring his first goal for the side, in a 2–1 win overRochdale.[6] He was later in the squad for Brentford when he helped the club win theDivision Two by four points.[7] At the end of the 1998–99 season, Powell had made 37 appearances, scoring twice in all competitions.[6] For his performances, he was named the club's Player of the Year.[8]
In the 1999–2000 season, Powell continued to be a first team regular.[9] He then scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–0 win overLuton Town on 16 September 1999.[9] A month later, on 16 October 1999, Powell scored again, in a 2–0 win overOxford United.[9] He spent the rest of the 1999–00 season, as a first team regular and went on to make 43 appearances, scoring three times in all competitions.[9]
However, in the 2000–01 season, Powell suffered a hamstring injury that saw him sidelined until January.[10] On his return from injury, he was sent–off on his first appearance on 13 January 2001, in a 0–0 draw againstBristol Rovers.[11] After returning, he regained his first team place for the side.[12] On 21 March 2001, Powell was sent–off for the second time that season, in a 2–1 win overSouthend United,[11] which saw Brentford go through to the LDV Final following a 4–2 on aggregate.[13] This was followed up by scoring his first goal of the season, in a 1–0 win overWrexham on 31 March 2001.[11] However, in theFootball League Trophy Final againstPort Vale, Powell played the whole game, in a 2–1 loss.[11] At the end of the 2000–01 season, he had made 22 appearances, scoring once in all competitions.[11]
In the 2001–02 season, Powell retained his first team place for the side despite being linked with a move away from the club.[14] On 18 September 2001, he scored his first goal of the season, in a 2–2 draw against Bristol Rovers.[15] Powell then captained Brentford for the first time in his career following the absence ofPaul Evans, as the club lost 1–0 againstNorthampton Town.[16] During a 0–0 draw againstChesterfield on 12 March 2002, he tore his hamstring early in the first half and was substituted as a result.[17] Powell returned to the first team on 6 April 2002, in a 3–0 win overHuddersfield Town.[15] On 1 May 2002, he scored his second goal of the season, in a 2–1 win over Huddersfield Town to help Brentford reach theSecond Divisionplay-off final at theMillennium Stadium,[15] where they lost 2–0 toStoke City.[18] At the end of the 2001–02 season, Powell had made 48 appearances, scoring twice in all competitions.[15]
During his time at Brentford, Powell made 150 appearances and scored eight times in all competitions.[19]
In the summer transfer window of 2002, it was expected that Powell would stay at Brentford for the 2002–03 season.[20] However, in August, he signed forCrystal Palace for £400,000, having previously been targeted by the Eagles managerTrevor Francis.[21][22]
Powell made his Crystal Palace debut in the opening game of the season againstPreston North End, starting and scoring the first goal, in a 2–1 win.[23] From the start of the season, he established himself in the starting eleven.[24] On 10 September 2002, Powell scored again in the first round of the League Cup, in a 2–1 win overPlymouth Argyle.[23] Despite being sidelined on numerous occasions during the 2002–03 season,[25] Powell went on to make 46 appearances, scoring twice in all competitions.[23]
In the 2003–04 season, Powell was initially an integral part of the team,[26] but was subsequently plagued with injuries.[27] Powell was also suspended when he received a second bookable offence, in a 1–1 draw againstDerby County on 14 October 2003.[28] While on the sidelines, Powell was close to joining Palace'sDivision One rivals,Reading, but the transfer move broke down, citing a failed medical, as well as, managerIain Dowie's desire to keep him.[29] After seven months away from the first team, he returned to training.[30] Powell made his first appearance from injury on 14 May 2004, where he came on as a late substitute in a 3–2 first-leg Play-off semi-final win overSunderland.[28] Powell then scored in the dying seconds of the away second-leg game at theStadium of Light taking the score on the night to a 2–1 defeat, but theaggregate score was level at 4–4.[28] Palace won onpenalties[31] and were promoted to thePremiership, following a play-off final win overWest Ham.[32] At the end of the 2003–04 season, Powell had made 15 appearances, scoring once in all competitions.[28]
In the 2004–05 season, however, Powell found himself dropping down the pecking order in the club's first team and having limited game time,[33] only appearing three times in the League Cup.[34] On 20 November 2004, he spent a month on loan to West Ham.[33] His debut came on 24 November 2004 againstrivals'Millwall, where he played the whole game, in a 1–0 loss.[34] In a follow-up match againstWatford, Powell scored his only goal for the club, in a 3–2 win.[34] After his spell at West Ham United, Powell returned to his parent club, Crystal Palace.[35]
Upon returning to Palace, Powell made his first Premier League appearance, where he played the whole game, in a 2–0 win overAston Villa on 3 January 2005.[34] In a follow-up match againstManchester City on 15 January 2005, he scored his first Premier League goal, in a 3–1 loss.[34] However, injuries plagued him once again, as the club were relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.[36] At the end of the 2004–05 season, Powell had made 10 appearances, scoring once in all competitions,[34] but was subsequently released by the club.[37]
In July 2005, he was out of contract and signed forHarry Redknapp atSouthampton on aBosman free transfer.[38]
Powell made his Southampton debut, where he played the whole game in a centre–back partnership withTomasz Hajto, in a 0–0 draw againstWolverhampton Wanderers.[39] He then helped the Saints keep three clean sheets during August againstSheffield Wednesday,Norwich City andCrewe Alexandra.[40] On joining the club, he quickly became a first team regular.[41] Powell's first goal for Southampton was againstIpswich Town on 13 September 2005.[40] He started in every match until he was hit with a three match suspension following his foul onReading'sKevin Doyle.[42] On 22 November 2005, he returned to the starting line-up after a month away, in a 1–1 draw againstHull City.[40] However, Powell soon lost his first team place following the appointment ofGeorge Burley, as well as, his own injury concerns.[43] At the end of the 2005–06 season, Powell had made 26 appearances, scoring once in all competitions.[40]
In the 2006–07 season, Powell, was sidelined until the end of the year.[44] While on the sidelines, Powell was the subject of a transfer bid fromLeeds United, which was rejected by the club.[45] He did not make his return to the first team until 6 January 2007, where he played the whole game, in a 2–0 win overTorquay United in the first round of the FA Cup.[46] This was followed by keeping another two clean sheets againstBurnley andQueens Park Rangers.[46] However, Powell was once again sidelined with another injury that kept him out throughout February.[47] Once again, Powell helped the side keep two clean sheets in a row against Wolverhampton Wanderers andLuton Town between 31 March 2007 and 7 April 2007.[48] Following this, Powell was incurred an injury that ultimately ruled him out for the rest of the season.[49] At the end of the 2006–07 season, Powell had made ten appearances.[46]
In the 2007–08 season, Powell missed the first three matches, due to suspension.[50] His suspension came after he was sent–off for violent conduct after reacting angrily to a heavy challenge fromPhil Mulryne, in the club's win atAFC Bournemouth the previous month.[51] After serving a three-match suspension, he made his return to the first team againstStoke City on 25 August 2007, in a 3–2 win.[52] His return, was short–lived though, as he suffered an ankle injury during the match.[53] After returning to training from injury in early–December,[54] Powell did not make his return to the first team until 29 December 2007, where he came on as a second–half substitute, in a 2–2 draw againstBarnsley.[52] After being sidelined on three separate occasions throughout January,[55] Powell scored his second goal for the club with a first minute tap in fromAdam Hammill's cross in a 3–2 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers.[52] However, Powell continued to be plagued with injuries towards the end of the season.[56] At the end of the 2007–08 season, Powell had made thirteen appearances, scoring once in all competitions.[52]
After three years of failing to establish himself in the first team due to a run of minor injuries, returning chairmanRupert Lowe decided not to renew Powell's contract.[57]
He trained withCharlton Athletic whilst searching for a club and was handed a trial atDerby County in November 2008.[58] On 21 November 2008, Powell signed an initial two-month contract for Derby,[59] and made his debut in the 2–0 defeat toIpswich Town a day later.[60]
However, Powell was released by Derby on 21 January 2009, after new managerNigel Clough decided against extending his contract,[61] Powell played eight times for the club.[19]
On 11 March 2009, Powell joinedLeeds United on a trial basis.[62] However, after making two reserve appearances, the club decided against offering him a contract.[63] He re-signed for his first professional club, Brentford, on 21 March 2009 on a contract until the end of the season.[64]
Powell made his second Brentford debut on 28 March 2009,[60] where he came on as a late substitute and received a positive reception from Brentford supporters, in a 1–1 draw againstGillingham.[65] He managed only a handful of appearances before being sent–off on 14 April 2009, in a 1–0 win over Bournemouth following an altercation with teammateKarleigh Osborne.[66] Powell never played for the side again; he had made four appearances and was released at the end of the season.[60][67]
On 7 August 2009, Powell agreed a one-year contract withLeague One teamMilton Keynes Dons.[68]
He played his first game for the club in a 0–0 draw againstHartlepool United on 8 August 2009.[69] Powell was involved in the next two matches againstSwindon Town andTranmere Rovers, where the team kept two clean sheets.[69] He became a first team regular at the club, under the management ofPaul Ince.[70] Then, on 3 October 2009, Powell played a vital role when he set up the only goal of the game, in a 1–0 win overBrighton & Hove Albion.[71] However, he was plagued by injuries during the season.[72] At the end of the 2009–10 season, Powell had made twenty–seven appearances, scoring once in all competitions.[69]
Along with three other players, he was released by MK Dons at the end of his contract on 30 June 2010.[73]
In January 2012,Hampton & Richmond Borough Chairman Steve McPherson claimed that Powell was close to making a comeback with the club.[74] a move which was confirmed on 27 January.[75]
He made his second debut for the club the next day coming off the bench at half time in a 2–2 draw away toHavant & Waterlooville.[76] However, he was plagued by injuries during his time at the club.[77] He made 15 appearances for the side and subsequently announced his retirement from playing.[76]
In April 2013, Powell and first-team coach Paul Barry took charge of Hampton & Richmond Borough, now in the National League South, on a caretaker basis until the end of the season after manager Mark Harper resigned his position.[78] The pair were installed as the permanent management team in May 2013.[79]
The pair helped the side go nine matches unbeaten between 3 December 2013 and 21 January 2014.[80] At the end of the 2013–14 season, the side finished in twelfth place in the league.[81] The club went on to win theMiddlesex Senior Cup after beatingWealdstone 3–2.[82]
However, a poor start to the 2014–15 season saw Powell sacked along with Barry after Hampton & Richmond lost 3–2 toVCD Athletic in the FA Cup qualifying round on 13 September 2014.[83] After leaving the club, Powell enrolled on the Elite Coaches Apprenticeship Scheme and acquired his A Licence.[84]
On 24 February 2015, Powell joined the academy coaching team at Crystal Palace.[85] In March 2023, afterRoy Hodgson returned as manager withPaddy McCarthy as his assistant, Powell was appointed as head-coach of theunder-21 team.[86]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brentford | 1998–99[6] | Third Division | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 37 | 2 |
| 1999-00[9] | Second Division | 36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[a] | 1 | 43 | 3 | |
| 2000–01[11] | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2001–02[15] | 41 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[b] | 1 | 48 | 2 | ||
| Total | 128 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 150 | 8 | ||
| Crystal Palace | 2002–03[23] | First Division | 39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | ― | 46 | 2 | |
| 2003–04[28] | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[c] | 1 | 15 | 1 | ||
| 2004–05[34] | Premier League | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ― | 10 | 1 | ||
| Total | 55 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 71 | 4 | ||
| West Ham United (loan) | 2004–05[34] | Championship | 5 | 1 | ― | ― | ― | 5 | 1 | |||
| Southampton | 2005–06[40] | Championship | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | 26 | 1 | |
| 2006–07[46] | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08[52] | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | 13 | 1 | |||
| Total | 43 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 2 | ||
| Derby County | 2008–09[60] | Championship | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 8 | 0 | |
| Brentford | 2008–09[60] | League Two | 4 | 1 | ― | ― | ― | 4 | 1 | |||
| Brentford total | 128 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 150 | 8 | ||
| Milton Keynes Dons | 2009–10[69] | League One | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Hampton & Richmond Borough | 2011–12[76] | Conference South | 15 | 0 | ― | ― | 1[d] | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 279 | 13 | 16 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 330 | 16 | ||
Brentford
Crystal Palace
Individual
