Whatever Happened To... Con Blatsis
Australian centre-half Con Blatsis was only on the U's books for a number of weeks, making seven appearances for the club, but he made an immediate impact in his time a Layer Road, and is fondly remembered by fans as the good Australian defender that once played for us (yes that's a dig at Chris Coyne).
He left the U's at the end of the 2001-02 season, returning to Australia in the hope of securing a move to the Far East. He later signed for Turkish side Kocaelispor on a two-year deal, but left part-way through his second season for financial reasons, having made 14 appearances and scoring one goal.
Following a trial at St Patrick's Athletic he signed for the League of Ireland Premier League side at the start of the 2004 season, though there were initial complications with international clearance due to the Turkish FA retaining his registration. His spell with the Saints was brief, and he left by mutual consent in May 2004, after making just two cup appearances.
After trials at Coventry City and Dutch side FC Twente, he returned to Australia to sign for South Melbourne (the club where he started his career) in early 2005. He made 26 appearances over four injury-dogged years and eventually called it a day in June 2009, retiring at the age of 31.
Clubs since leaving the U's: Kocaelispor Kulübü (Turkey), St Patrick's Athletic (Republic of Ireland), South Melbourne (Australia).
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