Career
Carter was born in Solihull. He made his first-team debut at the age of 18 for Birmingham City in the 1–0 defeat at their local rivals West Bromwich Albion on 29 January 2002 in Division One. He subsequently hit the headlines in May of the same year when he scored the decisive penalty in the shoot-out to win the Division One play-off final against Norwich City. The match had finished 1–1 after extra time and the spot-kick sealed Birmingham's promotion to the Premiership. Carter represented the England under-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, and was capped 11 times in all at that level.
After he signed a contract to keep him at the club until 2006, he was loaned to Sunderland in September 2004. Carter scored on his debut, in a 3–1 victory over Preston North End on 18 September. He made nine further appearances for the Black Cats. This gave his Birmingham career the boost it needed, and he was seen as a vital member of the squad until his July 2005 transfer to West Bromwich Albion for £1.5 million.
Carter made his Albion debut in a 3–2 home defeat against his former club Birmingham on 27 August 2005. His first goal for the club was a stunning winner in a 2–1 victory over Arsenal on 15 October; the strike won him the club's Goal-of-the-Season Award. After being told he could not be guaranteed first-team football, Carter signed a four-year deal with Preston North End on 9 August 2007, for a fee that could rise to £1.25m. Carter made his North End debut in a 0–0 draw against Norwich City two days later. His performance in the match earned him a place in the Championship Team of the Week.
In February 2008, during the fifth round of the 2007–08 FA Cup, Carter scored an 94th-minute own goal which knocked Preston North End out of the competition.
Carter was transfer-listed at the end of the 2009–10 season. In July 2010 he spent a week on trial with Millwall, but a proposed six-month loan move fell through. He then joined Southampton on trial. On 4 August, he joined Millwall on a three-month loan. He made his debut on the opening day of the new season, and was sent off for two bookable offences as his new club won 3–0 away to Bristol City. The loan deal was extended to January.
On his return from loan, Carter went straight into Preston's starting eleven and opened the scoring in the FA Cup-tie against Nottingham Forest, his first game for Preston for nine months; Forest won 2–1. After Preston were relegated to League One and Carter's contract expired at the end of the 2010–11 season, he trained with the club during July, but no terms were agreed on a new deal.
Carter began training with former club Birmingham City in August in the hope of earning a contract, but after no deal was forthcoming he had a trial in October with fellow Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion, but manager Gus Poyet told him he was looking for a more physical type of midfielder. While playing for Nottingham Forest reserves in November as part of another trial, Carter tore a groin muscle, requiring surgery and a three-month recovery period. Once he regained fitness towards the end of the 2011–12 season, he played for Walsall's reserves, and returned to Birmingham City for pre-season training.
On 23 August, Carter signed a six-month contract with 2012 League Two play-off finalists Cheltenham Town.
Read more about this topic: Darren Carter
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