John Clarke (footballer, born 2004)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Robert Clarke[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 24 April 2004[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Position | Left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Reading | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Stockport Town | |||
| 2021–2022 | Port Vale | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | Reading | 3 | (0) |
| 2026 | → Slough Town (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 2 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:58, 26 April 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14:57, 28 September 2022 (UTC) | |||
John Robert Clarke (born 24 April 2004) is an Irish footballer who plays as a left-back for EFL League One club Reading. He previously played on loan at Slough Town.
Clarke joined Port Vale's youth team from Stockport Town in 2021.[3] On 22 June 2022, Reading signed Clarke to join their under-23 team.[4] After impressing during the 2022–23 pre-season, Clarke made his debut for Reading on 6 August, coming on as a late substitute for Junior Hoilett in their 2–1 victory over Cardiff City at the Madejski Stadium.[5] However, manager Paul Ince confirmed that Clarke missed the rest of the season after sustaining a knee ligament injury in December.[6] He signed a new contract in July 2023.[7] He returned to fitness in December 2023.[8] On 23 May 2024, Reading announced they had extended their contract with Clarke for another season.[9]
On 16 May 2025, Reading announced that they had offered a new contract to Clarke, with a new one-year contract being confirmed as signed on 23 June.[10][11] On 6 March 2026, Clarke joined Slough Town on a one-month loan deal, linking up with fellow Royals loanees Basil Tuma and Jacob Borgnis at the club.[12]
International career
Clarke was called up to the Republic of Ireland under-19 team for the first time in August 2022 for a three-day training camp.[13] He made his debut for the U19 team on 24 September 2022, in a 2–0 win over Wales U19 in a 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifier.[14]