The defender would go on to make 37 first-team appearances before the age of 21, his composure and versatility marking him out as a player of promise. A loan move to Celtic, however, proved a turning point.
Signed primarily as a left-back, Blackett was frequently deployed in central defence as he rotated with Dedryck Boyata, Efe Ambrose and Jozo Simunovic.
He struggled to adapt to the tactical demands of manager Ronny Deila, and his time in Glasgow coincided with the unravelling of Deila’s tenure.
Celtic were reportedly open to cutting the loan short in January; in the end, Blackett made only eight appearances.
He rebuilt steadily. At Reading FC, where he would spend five seasons, Blackett made more than 120 appearances and re-established himself as a dependable Championship defender.
A move to Nottingham Forest followed in 2020, before spells with FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer and Rotherham United, who released him after their relegation to League One.
Now without a club, Blackett recently drew attention after declining an approach from the Baller League, the six-a-side indoor competition founded in Germany by Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski and launched in the UK with YouTuber KSI as president.
Speaking to Manchester Evening News, Blackett admitted he had reservations about how participation might be perceived.
“The owner got in touch with me through Instagram,” he said. “We spoke about it, and I didn’t realise it was going to take off the way it did.
"But if I go and play in the Baller League, does it look like I don’t want to play professionally anymore?
“Maybe in the future I will play but right now, no.”
At 31, Blackett remains intent on extending a professional career that once promised so much, wary of any move that might suggest otherwise.