Date / Year of birth: 17th February 1972

Position: Defender

Season of first appearance: 2003/04

Season of last appearance: 2004/05

Also played for: Carshalton Athletic, Brentford (16+7,4), Kingstonian, Enfield, Farnborough Town, Havant & Waterlooville, Redbridge, Tooting & Mitcham United, Guildford City and Banstead Athletic

Extremely versatile 5' 5" tall player born in Chelsea who started his career with Carshalton. Darren made his first team debut for the Robins in October 1992 and had a few more senior outings before the end of the 1992/93 season. Darren usually played as a winger or striker during 1993/94 and scored ten goals for Carshalton before Brentford paid £20,000 for him in March 1994. By then he'd made 59 first team appearances for the Robins.

Darren went on to score four goals in 23 senior appearances (seven as sub) for Brentford before moving to Kingstonian in January 1996.

He made seven appearances for the K's before the end of the 1995/96 campaign and scored three times.

In the summer of 1996 Darren joined Enfield and usually played in defence for them over the course of the next three seasons. He made over 100 appearances there and then linked up with Farnborough ahead of the 2000/01 campaign.

Darren became a hugely popular player at Farnborough and spent three years with the club. The highlight of his stay came on 25.1.03 when he was part of the side that lost 5-1 at Arsenal in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. He managed to make three goal-line clearances during the tie and future Margate player Rocky Baptiste scored Farnborough's goal at Highbury. Having discovered that before kick-off most of his team-mates had already lined up which Arsenal shirt they'd swap at the end of the game Darren told the national press "I didn't know it was like booking a cab." He'd hoped to exchange his shirt with Dennis Bergkamp but wasn't able to do so. Despite that disappointment Darren said "We're going home quite happy. We've lost 5-1 but we've played with ten men against the Double winners. I don't think we've disgraced ourselves at all." In all he made over 120 appearances for Farnborough before signing for Margate in June 2003.

Shortly after joining the club Darren told the Thanet Times "I was looking for a change really - I'd been at Farnborough for a few years. Last year at Farnborough wasn't too good and it was time to move on. Margate have got a lot of good young players. I'll be aiming for the play-offs at least, and I think we'll be able to do that...I'd love to get into the league with Margate." Manager Chris Kinnear told the paper "Darren reminds me a bit of Paul Parker. He's not the biggest, but he's a good marker and he can play anywhere."

Darren made his debut in a Conference game at Shrewsbury on 9.8.03 and started the match at left-back before moving into the centre. The Thanet Times said he looked "very strong" there and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Darren was a teacher at Macualay Primary School in Clapham Common and on 23.9.03 he took 60 of his pupils to watch Margate's 1-0 defeat against Barnet at Dover. He scored his first goal with a 45-yard free-kick in a 3-1 win over Northwich at Dover on 27.9.03 and the Thanet Times said it was a "stunning" effort. He'd started Margate's first 13 matches, usually at left wing-back but sometimes in midfield, before dropping to the bench after a 2-0 win over Leigh at Dover on 11.10.03. Darren returned to the side for a 1-0 win at Scarborough on 18.10.03 and from then on he was a regular once more.

On 28.10.03 he got his second goal of the season in a 3-3 draw with Grays in an FA Cup replay at Ashford and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said it was a "brilliant half-volley". Darren's effort leveled the scores with three minutes of extra time left but he later missed a penalty as Margate lost a shoot-out 3-1. He'd played as a sweeper during the tie. Darren then had a run of five games at right wing-back in the absence of the injured Greg Oates but after a 3-0 defeat at Chester on 29.11.03 he had to content himself with two substitute appearances in Margate's next two matches. He returned to the starting line-up for a 2-0 win at Aldershot on 20.12.03 and as the year drew to a close Darren was usually playing as a left wing-back once more.

On 10.1.04 Margate drew 2-2 at Dorchester in an FA Trophy tie and the Thanet Times said Darren "enjoyed one of his best performances for Margate when given the chance to play in his preferred position at centre-half". He also played in the heart of the defence in the replay at Ashford on 20.1.04 and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "looked solid" during a 2-0 win. From then on Darren almost always played as a centre-back. The Thanet Times said he gave a "man-of-the-match performance at centre-half" in a 3-0 win at Northwich on 14.2.04 and was "particularly impressive" in a 0-0 draw at Woking on 13.3.04. Darren rounded off the campaign by featuring as Margate won 2-1 at Folkestone on 28.4.04 to clinch the Kent Senior Cup and in all he'd scored twice from 49 appearances (three as sub). In its end of season round-up the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he'd "struggled to settle after being used in a string of different positions early on" but "showed his calibre after finally being switched to centre-half".

Darren became Margate's captain for the start of the 2004/05 campaign - the club's first in the Conference South after demotion - and he was a fixture in the side for the first few months of the season. Darren usually played as a centre-back and the Thanet Times said he scored a "bizarre own goal" in a 1-0 defeat against Dorchester at Margate's adopted home in Ashford on 11.9.04. A shot ricocheted off Darren's heel and spun into the net.

The Thanet Times said he "performed well" in an unfamiliar left-wing back role as Margate lost 2-1 at Redbridge on 25.9.04 and Darren had a few more outings in one or other of the wing-back positions although he always wore the number six shirt. On 6.11.04 his own goal with a minute left of an FA Trophy tie at Walton & Hersham gave the home side a 3-2 win and a few weeks later Darren's season was brought to an abrupt halt. He was stretchered off after only five minutes of a 1-0 defeat at Hayes on 11.12.04 and it turned out Darren had ruptured his Achilles tendon. The injury brought a premature end to his campaign and after making 26 appearances without scoring he missed the rest of the season as Margate were relegated to the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Darren stayed with the club for the start of the 2005/06 campaign as his recovery entered its final stages but once he was match fit he signed for Havant & Waterlooville in October 2005. Darren hadn't played again for Margate after the game when he picked up his injury in December 2004.

He went on to make 30 appearances for Havant & Waterlooville during the 2005/06 season but although Darren stayed with the Conference South club for 2006/07 he only played eight first team games after suffering injury problems.

He couldn't break into the Havant & Waterlooville side at the start of the 2007/08 campaign and in December 2007 Darren was loaned to Redbridge of the Isthmian League Division 1 North. His spell there meant he missed Havant & Waterlooville's FA Cup tie at Liverpool in January 2008.

Darren made five appearances for Redbridge (two as sub) during his loan before going back to Havant & Waterlooville towards the end of January 2008.

In February 2008 Darren joined Redbridge on a permanent basis and made six more appearances there (one as sub) before the end of the 2007/08 season.

In the summer of 2008 Darren played in some friendlies for Isthmian League Premier Division newcomers Tooting & Mitcham and signed for them ahead of the 2008/09 campaign. Unfortunately he picked up an injury before the season proper started and as a result Darren never played for Tooting's first team before leaving the club at the end of December 2008 to join Combined Counties Premier League outfit Guildford.

In February 2009 Darren moved on to Banstead, another Combined Counties Premier League club, and played for them until the end of the 2008/09 season. He then retired aged 37.

In 2011 Darren was still teaching at Macualay Primary School in Clapham Common and coaching their football teams.