James Clarke (footballer, born 2000)
Irish professional footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Michael Neil Clarke (born 2 April 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for National League side Boreham Wood. Born in England, he is a youth international for the Republic of Ireland.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Michael Neil Clarke[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2 April 2000[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Birkenhead, England | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Boreham Wood | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2014–2018 | Burnley | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2019 | Burnley | 0 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Mansfield Town | 18 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | → Solihull Moors (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2022–2026 | Solihull Moors | 193 | (6) |
| 2026– | Boreham Wood | 6 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 2018 | Republic of Ireland U18 | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 10 April 2026 | |||
Career
Burnley
Clarke came through the Academy at Burnley and earned a call up to the Republic of Ireland under-18 team in March 2018 where he earned two caps, both against Romania.[4] He turned professional at Turf Moor in April 2018 and was named as Clarets' Scholar of the Year the following month.[5] However he struggled with injuries in the 2018–19 season and he was allowed to leave the club after losing his place in the under-23 team.[6]
Mansfield Town
On 24 June 2019, Clarke signed a two-year deal with EFL League Two side Mansfield Town, alongside fellow Burnley youth-team graduate Aidan Stone.[7] He made his debut in the English Football League on 20 August, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for Hayden White in a 3–2 defeat to Leyton Orient at Field Mill.[8] Manager John Dempster went on to hand Clarke his first start for the "Stags" four days later, in a 0–0 draw at home to Stevenage.[9]
Solihull Moors (loan)
In November 2021, he joined National League side Solihull Moors on a short-term loan. At the end of December 2021, after a successful loan spell (6 appearances and 5 clean sheets), the loan was extended to the end of the 2021–22 season.[10]
Solihull Moors
On 14 March 2022, Clarke's loan deal at Solihull Moors was made permanent, signing a deal until the end of the 2023/24 season.[11] On 23 June 2023, Clarke signed a new two-year deal to keep him at Solihull until the end of the 2024/25 season.[12]
Boreham Wood
On 11 March 2026, Clarke signed for fellow National League club Boreham Wood.[13]
Career statistics
- As of match played 6 June 2022
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Burnley | 2018–19[14] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mansfield Town | 2019–20[15] | League Two | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2020–21[16] | League Two | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021-22[17] | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
| Solihull Moors (loan) | 2021–22[18] | National League | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| Solihull Moors | ||||||||||||
| 2021–22[18] | National League | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||
| Total | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 48 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 61 | 2 | ||
- Appearance(s) in the Football League Trophy