DARREN BASTOW

Born: 22 December 1981

Came from: Youth   Went to: Released

First game: 03 November 1998   Last game: 28 December 1999

Appearances: 53 (37/16)   Goals: 4

Bastow was born in Torquay and was a gifted, young midfielder. He began his career as an apprentice at Argyle, in July 1998, after leaving Torquay Community College, having been spotted by the club's Youth Development Officer John James, while he was playing for Torre Trojans.

At Home Park, his progress was rapid. Within months, he was given his debut by Kevin Hodges, and went on to become the youngest ever goalscorer for the club when he scored on his Football League debut. He had come on as substitute in a 3-0 home victory against Brentford in November 1998, aged 16 years and 316 days, when he netted. That record was to stand for over a quarter of a century - 26 years in total - and was not beaten until Seb Campbell scored against Tottenham Hotspur's under-21 side in a Football League Trophy tie in September 2025, aged 16 years and 279 days.

After that incredible start, Bastow made nine further first-team appearances while still a trainee, attracting favourable press and subsequently signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday. His form attracted the attention of higher division sides, and in November 1999 he joined Premiership side Derby County on trial, playing a reserve match against Coventry City. At the end of his trial he returned to Home Park but was left out of the squad in early 2000 for disciplinary reasons. With off the field issues mounting, Bastow walked out on the club, although Argyle retained his registration and refused to initially let him play for South Devon League side Upton Athletic.

In October 2000 he briefly returned to Argyle, and resumed training, but later walked out again, returning to playing local non-league football as he finally joined Upton Athletic on non-contract terms in August 2001. He agreed to join Torquay United on trial in October 2001, but nothing came of it - his older brother, Ian had made 11 appearances for Plainmoor side between 1988-90. He continued to play for Upton Athletic alongside other members of his family, including Ian, and also spent a season at Moretonhampstead before returning to Upton. He spent the best part of two decades in the South Devon League with reports from 2022 showing him still turning out into his 40s.

In total he made 53 appearances and scored four goals for Argyle and Bastow will always be remembered as one of the most gifted players to have not fully made the grade with Argyle. Talent was clearly never a problem; he was a cultured midfielder who looked destined for a career in the higher echelons of the game. Whether a case of too-much, too soon, is not clear but Bastow later admitted in an interview, that he 'simply didn't want to play football any more', at least not to the rigours required at a professional level.

Three decades on professional football and society in general, is a much difference place. With employee well-being programmes, staff welfare and mental health much more openly discussed and accessible, one can only assume that if Bastow and Argyle had their time together again now, the situation would have probably been handled rather differently.