Byfield is a player I have always favoured ever since his Aston Villa debut in 1997. Byfield came through the successful Villa academy. Although he never actually scored for Villa, the player interested me because of his local heritage. Over ten years on and Byfield is still playing in the West Midlands.
However he is no longer the young striker with potential, he is now captain of Walsall. Byfield has now played for thirteen clubs in total, including two spells at the Bescot Stadium.
Byfield offers more than he did at Villa, whilst his pace is no longer his strongest attribute; Byfield now is an inspirational figure in a youthful Walsall setup. An example of his influence is the development of the young Troy Deeney whilst partnering Byfield upfront.
Darren Byfield has also experienced Lancashire, with loan spells at both Preston and Blackpool. He even scored his first senior goal for the lilywhites. He finished the scoring at Deepdale, in a 4-1 win over Lancashire rivals, Burnley. However he failed to make an impact at Blackpool and played less than ten games between the two Lancashire clubs, before returning to Villa.
Byfield has tasted experienced the celebrity lifestyle, often appearing in the front pages for his relationship with Brummie singer Jamelia. He has also tasted international football after choosing to represent the Caribbean nation Jamaica. He played on six occasions for the Reggae Boyz and notched a solitary goal. Byfield received all six of his international caps during his lone season for Sunderland.
Despite Byfield's number of clubs and international recognition, his finest moment as a player has to be scoring an impressive goal at the Millennium Stadium. The goal holds more significance as it clinched promotion ahead of Reading. The two teams couldn’t be separated and the game entered extra time. Byfield came on as a substitute on 98 minutes. Baby boy Byfield’s contribution to the game will live long in many Saddlers fan’s minds. Just two minutes after Walsall grabbed a fortunate equaliser in the first period of extra time Byfield won the game. A long ball was played to Byfield’s feet. Facing away from goal and a long way out, Byfield didn’t seem to be in a goal scoring situation. However a terrific first touch and a swift turn made enough space for a measured finish from outside the area.
Whilst playing for Division one Rotherham United, Byfield almost tasted victory Premier League giants Arsenal at Highbury. Byfield's individual performance was impressive, forcing the gunners keeper, Graham Stack to pull off a number of quality saves throughout the game. However the striker did finally get on the score sheet, scoring in the final minutes to take the favourites to penalties. Arsenal went on to win the penalty shoot-out 9-8.
Whilst that was undoubtedly his finest moment, his most prolific form came whilst playing for Millwall. Byfield managed to score an impressive 16 goals in 31 appearances. However he also got booked on nine occasions in league one during this season, showcasing one of his weaknesses, his discipline.
Walsall's fight for survival is almost metaphoric of Villa's struggle, albeit the saddlers are currently occupying a relegation spot. What makes the two team's struggle even more comparable is how both Midlands teams will be reliant on a striker with the initials DB, if they are to stay in their respective leagues.
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