Darby started out as a goalkeeper for Liverpool Schools and FA Youth Team but never made it professionally and subsequently ended up at Tranmere Rovers before playing for teams in the US and Australia.
Coaching career
Darby obtained his UEFA A Licence in 1979. He became an official FIFA Instructor for the Oceania region in 1981 and AFC Instructor 1998 and was Technical Director for the Australian Soccer Federation between 1990–1995. He then moved on to coachSydney Olympic, but left in 1998 to coach Johor FA, where he enjoyed a successful spell, winning Malaysia FA Cup and league title. He left the club in 2001 to take charge of the Vietnam women's team, whom he led to a gold medal in the 2001 SEA Games. The first ever Gold medal for Vietnam in Football. After that, he was appointed youth team coach for Sheffield Wednesday FC under Terry Yorath, but remained there only for a season before taking over the reins at Singapore'sHome United. In his four-year tenure as Home United boss, Darby led them to a league and cup double in 2003 and also a semi-final spot in the 2004 AFC Cup. Also winning the Singapore Cup in 2005. At the end of his Home United contract, Darby was heavily linked to the vacant India manager's post. However, he did not take up that job, choosing instead to join Perak despite having offers from two other Malaysian clubs and a Vietnamese club. He led Perak to the Super Cup in 2005, a second spot in the league 2006–07 season and to the Malaysia Cup final in 2006 and an AFC quarterfinal. It was the furthest a Malaysian club had gone in Asian Competitions at that time. In October 2008, he was appointed as Thailand coach and worked together with Peter Reid who was appointed Thailand Manager in August. He would stay on as coach to the newly appointed Bryan Robson and as the U-23 Team Coach, after previous coach Peter Reid left to become Coach at Stoke City. In 2012, he spent a year as a coaching consultant in Asia for EPL club Everton and as a football advisor to the Manipur government in India. In September 2013, Darby was appointed as Coach for Kelantan FC in the Malaysian Super league He was familiar with Malaysian football as he previously coached Johor and Perak. He was assistant coach of Mumbi City in 2014 in the inaugural Indian Super League including players such as Nikolas Anelka, Freddie Ljungberg and Manuel Friedriche. In 2015, he was appointed as Technical Director of the Laos Football Federation and later as National Coach preparing for the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers. In this time Laos obtained its first World Cup points and its highest ever FIFA ranking.
