 Blackett in training with Manchester United in late 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tyler Nathan Blackett[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-04-02)2 April 1994 (age 31) | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Fletcher Moss Rangers | |||
| 2002–2012 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2016 | Manchester United | 11 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | →Blackpool (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2014 | →Birmingham City (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | →Celtic (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2016–2020 | Reading | 110 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Nottingham Forest | 14 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | FC Cincinnati | 31 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | Rotherham United | 16 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2009 | England U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2011 | England U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | England U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | England U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2014 | England U21 | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 July 2024 (UTC) | |||
Tyler Nathan Blackett (born 2 April 1994) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as aleft-back orcentre-back. He joinedManchester United's youth academy in 2002 and worked his way through to the first-team, as well as spending time on loan toBlackpool,Birmingham City andCeltic. He then played forReading andNottingham Forest and inMajor League Soccer forFC Cincinnati before returning to English football withRotherham United. He has played for England fromunder-16 tounder-21 levels.
Blackett began his football career with youth clubFletcher Moss Rangers, and signed forManchester United in 2002 at the age of 8.[3][4] He signed a professional contract with United in July 2012.[5]
On 1 November 2013, Blackett signed forChampionship clubBlackpool on a month-long loan.[6] The next day, he made his debut for the Seasiders, playing the whole 90 minutes in a 1–0 league win atNottingham Forest.[7] On 5 December 2013, Blackpool extended Blackett's loan until 1 January 2014.[8]
On 31 January 2014, Blackett signed for Championship clubBirmingham City on a youth loan until the end of the season.[9] Together with fellow Manchester United loaneeTom Thorpe, Blackett started the next day's match, at home toDerby County. After 38 minutes, he trippedWill Hughes to concede a penalty, whichDarren Randolph saved. Birmingham came back from 3–1 down to draw, the equaliser scored by a third United loanee,Federico Macheda, in stoppage time.[10]
During the 2014–15 pre-season, Blackett played at centre-back for Manchester United in a 3–5–2 formation and his performances led to him earning praise from new managerLouis van Gaal. In the club's final pre-season match againstValencia atOld Trafford, he provided the assist forMarouane Fellaini's stoppage-time winner to make the score 2–1.[11]
As a result of an injury crisis and the departure of experienced defendersRio Ferdinand andNemanja Vidić from the club, Blackett was drafted into the first team squad on a permanent basis. Blackett made his competitive debut for Manchester United on 16 August 2014, in the first match of the2014–15 Premier League season, playing the full 90 minutes and being booked in a 2–1 home defeat toSwansea City in Van Gaal's first competitive match as Manchester United manager.[12] He also played in the next game away atSunderland, which ended in a 1–1 draw with Blackett making an important clearance during the match to help earn Manchester United a point.[13] Blackett also played in the 0–0 draw against Burnley on 30 August 2014. During the game he received a yellow card for a mistimed challenge.[14] Blackett then played in United's first win of the season when they beatQueens Park Rangers 4–0 as a centre-back rather than a full-back. He was sent off in the 82nd minute on 21 September as United lost 5–3 atLeicester City.[15]
On 17 May 2015 in a home match againstArsenal, Blackett came on in place ofMarcos Rojo after 73 minutes, and nine minutes later deflected aTheo Walcott cross for anown goal past United goalkeeperVictor Valdés to cause a 1–1 draw.[16] In total, Blackett made 12 Premier League appearances during the 2014–15 season.[17]
On 29 August 2015, Blackett was loaned toScottish Premiership clubCeltic until the end of the 2015–16 season.[17] He made his debut playing at left-back in a league match atAberdeen on 12 September 2015, but Celtic lost 2–1 to the league leaders.[18] Blackett dropped out of the side for a few matches, but returned on 4 October for a league match atHamilton Accies, taking the place of the suspendedEfe Ambrose in central defence and helped Celtic to a 2–1 win.[19]
On 22 August 2016, Blackett signed a four-year contract with Championship clubReading. Head coachJaap Stam, a former Manchester United player, praised the defender for his versatility and attacking presence.[20]
With his contract with Reading due to expire on 30 June 2020, and due to the effects of theCOVID-19 pandemic on the2019–20 season, Blackett signed a short-term extension with Reading until the end of the season.[21] Following the completion of the 2019–20 season, Reading announced that Blackett would leave the club at the end of July 2020.[22]
On 15 August 2020, Blackett joinedNottingham Forest on a permanent contract.[23] He made his debut for the club on 12 September, starting in a 2–0 defeat away toQueens Park Rangers.[24]
On 6 August 2021, Blackett joinedMajor League Soccer clubFC Cincinnati on a free transfer.[25] Blackett was released by Cincinnati following their 2022 season.[26]
On 8 March 2023, Blackett returned to England when he joined Championship clubRotherham United on a short-term contract until the end of the season.[27] On 7 May 2024, after the club were relegated, Rotherham announced the player would be released in the summer after his contract expired.[28]
Blackett qualifies to play forEngland,Barbados orJamaica internationally and has represented England at various youth levels.[29][30]
In September 2009, Blackett was called up to theEngland U16 squad for the2009Victory Shield match againstWales.[31] On 15 October, he started the 1–0 win against Wales, but was replaced byAlex Henshall a few minutes before half-time.[32] Blackett was recalled to the squad for the final Victory Shield match againstScotland in November 2009;[33] he replacedSam Magri in the 69th minute as England won 2–1 at theTynecastle Stadium inEdinburgh.[34] The victory sealed England's ninth consecutive Victory Shield.[34]
Blackett was called up to theEngland U17 squad for the Algarve Tournament in February 2011.[35] He started England's opening game of the tournament on 24 February, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw withRomania.[36] He was an unused substitute in the 3–1 defeat againstGermany,[37] but came on to replace Alex Henshall in the 76th minute of the 2–2 draw withPortugal.[38]
In November 2011, Blackett was called up to theEngland U18 squad for a friendly againstSlovakia.[39] On 16 November, he started the 1–1 draw with Slovakia, before being replaced byCourtney Meppen-Walter in the 65th minute.[40] He retained his place in the squad for the friendly againstPoland in February 2012,[41] coming on at half-time as England won 3–0 at theAlexandra Stadium.[42]
In August 2012, Blackett was called up to theEngland U19 squad for a friendly againstGermany.[43] On 6 September, he started the game inHamburg, playing the whole 90 minutes as England lost 3–1.[44] Blackett earned his second call up for a friendly withDenmark in January 2013,[45] he started the game before being replaced byLewis Baker in the 67th minute as England won 3–1 at theKeepmoat Stadium.[46]
In August 2014 Blackett received his first call up to theEngland U21 squad after becoming part of the Manchester United first team squad and starting the first two games of the season.[47]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United | 2012–13[48] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013–14[49] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[50] | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16[51] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| Blackpool (loan) | 2013–14[49] | Championship | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2013–14[49] | Championship | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Celtic (loan) | 2015–16[51] | Scottish Premiership | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| Reading | 2016–17[52] | Championship | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 2017–18[53] | Championship | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19[54] | Championship | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20[55] | Championship | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| Total | 110 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 122 | 0 | |||
| Reading U23 | 2016–17[52] | — | — | — | — | 1[e] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Nottingham Forest | 2020–21[56] | Championship | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| FC Cincinnati | 2021[57] | MLS | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| 2022[57] | MLS | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 1 | |||||
| Rotherham United | 2022–23[58] | Championship | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24[59] | Championship | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 198 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 222 | 2 | ||
Celtic
