Disciplined Darcy Blake hungry for Cardiff City success

Coca Cola Championship - Ipswich Town v Cardiff City
Venue: Portman Road Date: Tuesday, 9 March 2010 Kick-off: 1745 GMT
Coverage: Full commentary on BBC Radio Wales (SE FM only), live text commentary online and score updates on BBC Sport website & BBC Radio 5 live

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Darcy Blake is friends with European boxing champion Nathan Cleverly

Darcy Blake is so hungry to prove he has a future at Cardiff City the youngster has cut out fast food.

Bluebirds boss Dave Jones warned Blake not to follow former England star Matt Le Tissier's example of burger binging.

And the Wales under-21 international is cutting the calories to help Cardiff's Championship play-off push.

Blake said: "I've spoken to the boss about time-keeping and diet and the little things make a big difference. Now I realise that and it is sorted."

The 21-year-old academy graduate's Cardiff future looked uncertain when he was farmed out on loan to Championship rivals Plymouth Argyle in August.

But the Bluebirds bit-part player returned in the new year as Blake enjoyed a new lease of life because Jones was forced to play the defender as a makeshift midfielder due to Cardiff's injury crisis.

Long-term problems to Joe Ledley and Stephen McPhail and niggling injuries to Peter Whittingham and Gavin Rae have meant Blake has enjoyed an extended stay in Jones' first-team.

Blake, who made his Bluebirds debut almost four years ago, was excellent alongside Scotsman Rae in the engine room in Cardiff's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday, a victory which kept the Welsh club in the play-off places.

Jones' burger warning for Blake

But Jones has warned the Caerphilly-born player against complacency both on and off-the-field - and warned him against over-excess at the dinner table.

"When I wasn't playing my lifestyle off the pitch wasn't too good," Blake admitted to BBC Sport.

"And when it wasn't too good off-the-pitch, it wasn't too good in training and on-the-pitch.

"I've sorted it now and I'm feeling fit so I'll keep driving past the fast food shops!"

Jones worked with Southampton cult hero Le Tissier during his three years at The Dell and his battle to beat the bulge.

"I worked with Matthew Le Tissier and we did everything for him," said Jones.

"But when he went away he liked McDonalds, he couldn't keep out of there.

"Football is not just about what you do on the field as if you're not doing it right off-the-field, it won't happen on it and will catch up with you eventually. Darcy must make sure he trains properly and work.

"We can monitor the players at the training ground as much as we want; we give them all the right foods, right supplements and right drinks but it's what they do when they go away from the place.

"There's a right way to do things and we're trying to instill that into the younger players.

606: DEBATE At Ipswich we start a gruelling run of three matches away from home - and visits to Portman Road are never easy at the best of times It_begins_now

"They must stay away from the things that we all enjoy, the things that make you put on weight. They are athletes and at this time of the season, when the games are so often, we must make sure everything you do is bang on off-the-field."

Blake has suffered from a long-standing calf problem but is fighting fit and expected to start at struggling Ipswich Town on Tuesday.

Cardiff's Portman Road visit is the second game in their congested March schedule of eight games in 24 days.

And Blake admits: "There is quite a lot of games this month so my lifestyle must be right.

"If someone is not doing the right thing off the pitch, it will affect them on the pitch because we won't get much rest period in this month - so your lifestyle must be right and I know that so I'm looking after myself."

He also admits his temporary spell at lowly Plymouth helped improve his attitude and a "reality check to get away out of my comfort zone."

And Jones admits: "Sometimes it can become cosy for young players here so it was nice for him to get a reality check and play first-team football and earn his corn.

"He has knuckled down. But he hasn't made it after one good game, he has to keep doing it again and again."