Height : 6' 0"
Weight: 12 7lbs
Defender
Dave was born in Liverpool on the 25th of August 1975. He signed as a trainee at Tranmere on the 6th of July 1994, moving on a free to Chester on the 7th of August 1995. Whilst there he played 56 league games with another seven substitute appearances and scored once. From Chester Dave moved to Dundee on the1st of August 1997, making 76 league appearances plus 5 as a sub and again scoring once. From Dundee it was on to Ayr taking the captains armband, on the 17th of June 1999, again on a free, this time making 13 league appearances and 3 substitutions and scored his by now customary goal. Whilst at Ayr he had a loan spell at Partick from the 31st of March to the 8th of May 2000, making 6 appearances for them. The following season came a loan spell at Peterborough, from the10th of October to the 7th of January making 8 league appearance and 2 substitutions for the Posh. On the 3rd of March 2001 Dave was again on the move, this time on a free to Scunthorpe. He made one league appearance for them, away at Torquay being replaced by Ipoua on 63 minutes after dislocating his shoulder in their 0-2 win on the 3rd of March.
Dave signed for Carlisle on the 18th of September on a free,
making his debut in the home 2-1 win against York. He settled into
to the team quickly, playing as a no compromising centre back for the next eight
league games, plus the first rounds of the Worthington and LDV Cups. The
game away against Oxford United on the 23rd of October saw his only goal of the
season. With the
game at 0-0, Steve Soley put a cross in, Brendan McGill 
headed on and Dave shot
the ball into the net with an overhead kick. Dave was then substituted
in the 65th minute making way for Lee Andrews and the match finished as a 1-1
draw. After missing the next game against Halifax at home but was back in the
team for the next three. These included the home match against Mansfield
on the 10th of November. This match proved to be a low point in Dave's and
Carlisle's season. Mansfield were a a form team
but played a very poor game which was matched by Carlisle. Dave had been booked in the first few minutes of
the game and got his marching orders in the second half after mistiming a
tackle from behind on Chris Greenacre. The match ended in a 1-0 defeat, neither
team had shown much abilty or interest in scoring but Keen unfortunately slipped when dealing with a
simple back pass gifting Greenacre with an open goal. Dave's non
compromising play earned him a suspension for the game against Plymouth away on
the 24th of November but was back in the side for the first round FA cup replay
against Barnet and then played one of his best games
for the blues in the 3-0 win against Scunthorpe at home on the 1st of December.
This game gave long suffering fans hope for better days to come, when the
players seemed to come together as a team. Dave contributed to the clean
sheet with a superb goal line clearance when Scunthorpe's Steve Torpey's
shot looked destined for the back of the net. The second round FA Cup match
against Tranmere away came next on the 8th of December. A difficult match that Tranmere eventually won 6-1 with Will McDonagh sent
off on his debut and Dave himself 
picking
up a further yellow card in a game that was personally disappointing for the former
Tranmere player. Again serving a suspension for the match away at
Swansea, Dave then went through a difficult time where he was dropped to the
bench. The partnership of Winstanley and Andrews was working well and
seemed the preferred choice for Roddy Collins so opportunities were
limited. However a run of injuries gave Dave the chance to get back
into the side and after starting the game away at Scunthorpe away on the 16th of
March he was ever present until the end of the season. The Scunthorpe game
saw Dave debut as a left back, a role which seemed to suit him as time and
again he got behind the defence to cause problems, showing both speed and
strength.
| Appearances | Subs | Goals | Yellow Cards | Sent off |
| 25 + 4 cup | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
Dave has been released at the end of the 2001/02 season. After a trial at Dutch club Cambuur Leeuwarden, he was offered a contract and looks forward to playing for a team looking for promotion into the top division. Always happy to chat with the fans and a very committed player on the field we wish him luck in his future career.
To read an interview with Dave about his career and his time at United Click here
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