James Clarke
Clarke playing for Bristol Rovers in 2015
Personal information
Full name James Anthony John Clarke[1]
Date of birth (1989-11-17) 17 November 1989[2]
Place of birth Aylesbury, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Newport County
Number 5
Youth career
2000–2006 Watford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2009 Oxford United 32 (0)
2009–2012 Oxford City 151 (0)
2012–2014 Salisbury City 74 (0)
2014–2015 Woking 30 (0)
2015–2019 Bristol Rovers 112 (2)
2019–2021 Walsall 58 (5)
2021– Newport County 74 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:13, 6 January 2024 (UTC)

James Anthony John Clarke (born 17 November 1989) is an English footballer who plays as centre back for EFL League Two club Newport County.[3]

Career

Clarke began his career at Oxford United making his debut by playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 Conference win at Kidderminster Harriers on 24 November 2007.[4] He made 18 league appearances in his first season, and was sent off for two bookings in a 0–3 home defeat to Burton Albion on 8 March 2008.[5]

He played 14 league matches in the ensuing campaign, but received a straight red card in the opening game, a 3–0 defeat at Barrow on 8 August 2008.[6] On 27 February 2009, with his contract terminated by mutual consent, he joined Southern Football League Premier Division team Oxford City for the rest of their 2009 campaign,[7] and from 2012 to 2014 he signed for Salisbury City after an unsuccessful trial at League one side Yeovil Town.

With Salisbury in financial distress, Clarke left for Woking, also of the Conference, on an undisclosed contract.[8] He made his debut on 9 August as they opened the season with a 3–1 win at Alfreton Town, and made 30 appearances across the campaign.[9]

Bristol Rovers

On 11 June 2015, with his contract expired, he signed for Bristol Rovers, newly promoted back into The Football League.[10] He made his debut for the club on 8 August, as they began the League Two season with a 0–1 home defeat to Northampton Town.[11] Clarke ended the season with several first team appearances as he provided a helpful role in Rovers' 3rd-place finish to receive promotion into the Football League One. In the same summer, Clarke signed a contract extension along with several other teammates.[12]

Clarke scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers at the start of the 2018–19 season[13] before he scored his second goal with a 95-minute winner in a 2–1 victory over Fleetwood Town.[14]

Walsall

Clarke was offered a new contract at Bristol Rovers at the end of the 2018–19 season[15] and despite being offered an improved two-year contract, he opted to follow former boss Darrell Clarke to Walsall having worked under him at Salisbury and Rovers on a deal worth £104,000 per year.[16][17] Clarke made his debut on the opening day of the season, scoring the only goal as Darrell Clarke got off to a winning start against Northampton Town.[18] His impressive start with the club continued and after scoring two goals in the month, he was awarded the League Two Player of the Month award for September 2019.[19] One of these goals was a 30-yard screamer against Crawley Town that won him the league's Goal of the Month award.[20]

At the end of the 2020–21 season, Clarke was one of eight players to not be offered a new contract and would therefore depart the club at the expiration of their contract.[21]

Newport County

In June 2021 he joined Newport County on a one-year deal.[22] He made his debut for Newport on 7 August 2021 as a first half substitute in the 1–0 League Two win against Oldham Athletic.[23] On 18 September 2021, Clarke scored his first goal for the club with an 87th minute winner against former club Walsall, assisted by another former Walsall teammate Cameron Norman.[24] In May 2022 Clarke's contract at Newport was extended until the end of the 2022–23 season.[25] He signed a new two-year contract in May 2023.[26]

Career statistics

As of match played 7 April 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Oxford United 2007–08[27] Conference Premier 18020—00200
2008–09[28] Conference Premier 14020—00160
Oxford United Total 32040—00360
Oxford City Oxford City Total 1510———1510
Salisbury City 2012–13[29] Conference South 37000—3[lower-alpha 1]0400
2013–14[29] Conference Premier 37030—1[lower-alpha 2]0410
Salisbury City Total 74030—40820
Woking 2014–15[29] Conference Premier 30020—5[lower-alpha 2]0370
Bristol Rovers 2015–16[30] League Two 37010101[lower-alpha 3]0400
2016–17[31] League One 22010102[lower-alpha 4]0260
2017–18[32] League One 110000000110
2018–19[33] League One 42220203[lower-alpha 4]0492
Bristol Rovers Total 11224040601262
Walsall 2019–20[34] League Two 27320102[lower-alpha 4]0323
2020–21[35] League Two 31200101[lower-alpha 4]0332
Walsall Total 585202030655
Newport County 2021–22[36] League Two 351102000381
2022–23[37] 23010002[lower-alpha 4]0260
Newport County Total 581202020641
Career total 5158170802005608
  1. ↑ One appearance in FA Trophy, two appearances in Conference South play-offs
  2. 1 2 Appearances in FA Trophy
  3. ↑ Appearance in Football League Trophy
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in EFL Trophy

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Notification of shirt numbers: Walsall" (PDF). English Football League. p. 74. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  2. ↑ James Clarke at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  3. ↑ "DONE DEAL | James Clarke joins Exiles on one-year deal".
  4. ↑ "Kidderminster 0-2 Oxford". BBC Sport. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "Oxford Utd 0-3 Burton Albion". 8 March 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "Barrow 3-0 Oxford". BBC Sport. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "Clarke joins Oxford City". Oxford Mail. 27 February 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "James Clarke: Woking sign Salisbury City defender". BBC Sport. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "Alfreton 1-3 Woking". BBC Sport. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "James Clarke: Bristol Rovers sign ex-Woking defender". BBC Sport. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Bristol Rovers 0-1 Northampton". BBC Sport. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "Clarke signs new Bristol Rovers deal". BBC Sport.
  13. ↑ "Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 18 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "Bristol Rovers 2-1 Fleetwood Town". BBC Sport. 22 December 2018.
  15. ↑ "Retained List". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  16. ↑ "Walsall 2020 Wages | Player & Team totals". salarysport.com. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  17. ↑ "James Clarke joins Walsall". 30 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  18. ↑ "Northampton Town 0–1 Walsall". BBC Sport. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  19. ↑ "James Clarke wins Player of the Month award". www.saddlers.co.uk. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  20. ↑ "Walsall captain James Clarke wins goal of the month award". Express & Star. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  21. ↑ "Club Statement: Released & Retained List". www.saddlers.co.uk. 11 May 2021.
  22. ↑ Clarke joins Newport
  23. ↑ Newport debut
  24. ↑ "Newport County 2–1 Walsall". BBC Sport. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  25. ↑ Clarke contract extension
  26. ↑ "James Clarke Signs Two-Year Contract Extension". www.newport-county.co.uk. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  27. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  28. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  29. 1 2 3 James Clarke at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  30. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  31. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  32. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  33. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  34. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  35. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  36. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  37. ↑ "Games played by James Clarke in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  38. ↑ "September Player of the Month winners". www.efl.com. English Football League. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
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