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Player Profiles 2008-9: Nathan Stanton
Player Profiles 2008-9: Nathan Stanton
Wednesday, 16th Jul 2008 17:40

Another day, another player profile. This time it's the turn of Nathan Stanton to have his profile updated in time for the 2008-9 season.

Player Profile: Nathan Stanton

Player Name Nathan Stanton
Position Defender
Squad Number 4
Date of Birth 6th May 1981
Place of Birth Nottingham
Signed for Dale Scunthorpe - Free Transfer (26.07.06)
Dale Debut Dale 0 Walsall 1 - 05.08.06
Previous Clubs Scunthorpe United
Contract Expires June 2010
There are two Rochdales. There is the one without Stanton in the side, and there is the one with Stanton in the side. And the one in which Stanton plays is significantly more of a force than the one without him. Take last season for example. Dale were languishing in fifteenth place. Stanton returns, we lose just one of the next twelve matches and shoot ourselves up the league table.

It feels like Stanton has been at Spotland for years. Certainly, we'd tried to get him to Spotland for a few years before we actually did, but it was most definitely worth the wait and Stanton has since gone on to become an absolute rock at the back for Dale.

He came to the club having played most of his career at right back. He's come up through the ranks at Scunthorpe, and started getting a fair bit of attention due to his performances. However, he was let go by the Iron after making over 250 appearances for the Iron. He'd had a bad run with injuries in his final days at Glanford Park, and was perhaps a victim of their promotion to the Championship.

But despite a career at right back, he came to Spotland with the intention of playing at the centre of defence. His lack of inches perhaps had stopped him playing there in the past, as teams traditionally favour the towering central defender, but it proved to be absolutely the correct decision.

Almost from day one, he stood out. He marshalled the back superbly and it was no surprise that he was given the captaincy when Gary Jones was ruled out for the rest of the season. Not only that, his leadership has helped Rory McArdle come on career wise and become far better player than what he had been previously.

Stanton's strengths come in his pace and his reading of the game. Understandbly, he might not be at his best aerially but his reading of the game often gives him a head start over many a centre forward, and he's chased down many a lost cause in his time.

A lengthy injury kept him out the side for around six months in 2007, but he shook it off to become bigger and better. The only downside since his return was a pair of red cards, one of which came about after giving the referee at MK Dons the sort of treatment he usually reserves for Notts County supporters.

Probably best not to ask him if he's scored at Wembley tho.

Dale Stats (to July 2008)

  League Other Total
Season App Sub Goals App Sub Goals App Sub Goals
2007-2008 27 0 0 3 0 0 30 0 0
2006-2007 35 0 0 4 0 0 39 0 0
Total 62 0 0 7 0 0 69 0 0

Photo: Action Images



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