Background
Chandler was born in South Shields and was brought up in Boldon.
Chandler was born in South Shields and was brought up in Boldon.
He began his career at Sunderland, and while with that club was capped several times by England at levels from under-16 to under-19. He signed his first professional contract in 2007, after recovering from a broken legal He was loaned to Football League Two club Darlington in August 2009 to gain first-team experience, and made his debut in the Football League on 8 August against Aldershot Town coming on as a substitute.
He made his first start two days later against Leeds United in the League Cup.
He returned to Sunderland in November 2009. At the end of the 2009-2010 season, Chandler"s contract with Sunderland expired.
He signed a two-year deal with Darlington, recently relegated to the Conference Premier. He scored his first goal for his new side against Forest Green Rovers on 11 September 2010.
On 13 January 2012, Chandler signed for Gateshead, along with Liam Hatch, for a nominal fee.
He made his debut the following day, scoring in a 2–2 draw against Braintree Town in the FA Trophy. He agreed a new one-year contract with the club in May 2012 to cover the 2012-2013 season. On 6 July 2012, Chandler was named vice-captain at Gateshead following the departure of Kris Gate.