Bradford City handed Burnley a £1m club hero: View | OneFootball

Robbie Blake became a key player for Burnley and proved to be a shrewd signing from Bradford.

Highlights

Transfers often benefit one side more than the other, and Burnley's 2002 acquisition of Robbie Blake from Bradford City exemplifies this perfectly.

At the time, Bradford, competing in the second tier, were grappling with significant financial difficulties off the pitch. These troubles prompted rival teams to exploit the situation by targeting some of their standout players and Burnley seized this opportunity by signing Blake for a fee estimated at around £1 million.

The striker left the Bantams having netted 45 times in 168 appearances, including one stellar season where he managed 16 in 39 league games.

His departure from Valley Parade prompted him to become a club hero at Turf Moor and, across two spells, he gave his all for the Lancashire side.

Having signed in the January window, the following six months for Blake were somewhat of a false dawn. In 10 games, he failed to net a single goal, with the forward making a solitary start for the Clarets.

Heading into the 2002-03 season, many would have been questioning his place at the club then, but he began to answer his critics.

After a series of disappointing performances in the opening games of the season, he was given a chance to prove himself away at Derby County. Repaying Stan Ternent’s faith by scoring the equaliser from the penalty spot in a 2-1 victory over the Rams.

This was the spark that he needed and Blake netted a further 12 goals throughout the campaign, as he helped Burnley to a midtable finish.

The following year proved challenging for the Clarets, but it was a standout season for Blake. In 45 appearances, he scored an impressive 19 goals, playing a crucial role in steering his side clear of relegation.

One of his most significant contributions came in a vital 1-0 victory against Walsall, where his decisive goal is widely regarded by fans as the one that preserved their status in the Championship.

With Ternent sacked as manager, Steve Cotterill arrived at the club, and he quickly placed his priority around Blake as he installed him as captain.

In a lone striker role, Burnley's new captain continued to flourish as he netted a further 10 league goals in 24 games. However, the Clarets were sitting in and around midtable, and Blake was beginning to get interest from the division above.

This interest evolved into a move, as Birmingham City submitted a £1.25 million bid which was duly accepted by the board.

This meant that Blake left Turf Moor for the first time, having netted 51 goals in 138 games.

Robbie Blake's 2007 return

His time at Birmingham and then Leeds United didn't quite go to plan, so it was no surprise when Cotterill opted to bring him back to Turf Moor following the Whites' relegation.

In Blake's first year back, he managed 22 goal contributions as Burnley finished 13th. But, it was a change in manager and position that warranted Blake his first bit of silverware, as Owen Coyle opted to play him on the left wing.

His eight goals and 13 assists were instrumental in helping Coyle’s team secure fifth place, leading to promotion from the division. They triumphed in the play-offs, defeating Reading and Sheffield United to clinch their spot in the top tier.

Having helped them achieve such a long-term goal, he played somewhat of a bit part role the following season in the Premier League with new manager Brian Laws not seeing eye to eye with the forward.

Despite being offered a one-year contract in the summer of 2010, Blake opted to jump ship and signed for Premier League Bolton Wanderers, calling time on a wonderful Burnley career.

Having signed for Burnley all the way back in 2002, not many would have envisaged the stunning 282-game career he had with the Clarets. Those 20,000 minutes on the pitch leave him as something of a modern-day legend, and he will forever be cherished by the Turf Moor faithful.