Wayne Clarke (footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Wayne Clarke[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 28 February 1961||
Place of birth | Short Heath,[1] England | ||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Youth career | |||
1976–1978 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1978–1984 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 148 | (30) |
1984–1987 | Birmingham City | 92 | (38) |
1987–1989 | Everton | 57 | (18) |
1989–1990 | Leicester City | 11 | (1) |
1990–1992 | Manchester City | 21 | (2) |
1990 | → Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 7 | (6) |
1991 | → Stoke City (loan) | 9 | (3) |
1991 | → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 1 | (0) |
1992–1993 | Walsall | 39 | (21) |
1993–1995 | Shrewsbury Town | 59 | (22) |
1995–1996 | Telford United | ||
Total | 444 | (141) | |
Managerial career | |||
1995–1996 |
player-manager ) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Wayne Clarke (born 28 February 1961) is an English former professional footballer.
Playing as a striker, he scored nearly 150 goals over the course of his career and was a member of the Everton team which finished as English league champions in 1987.
He made almost 450 appearances in the Football League, playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Everton, Leicester City, Manchester City, Shrewsbury Town, Stoke City and Walsall.
He is the youngest of five brothers. Frank, Allan, Derek and Kelvin who all played league football.[3]
Playing career
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Clarke was born in Short Heath, the fifth son of Frank Clarke, Sr.
He joined his home-town club Wolverhampton Wanderers as an associate schoolboy on his 15th birthday in 1976, despite competition from leading clubs,[4] and became an apprentice when he left school the following year.
Clubs that were interested in taking Clarke at the time included Arsenal and Leeds where he had trials and both Merseysider teams were keen too. Clarke and his parents also went for a meal with Brian Clough who was managing Nottingham Forest and was to be told "look, I want you to come with us" but he preferred to stay at home and signed for the Wanderers.[5]
Before any professional debut, Clarke represented England at schoolboy level.[6]
On his international schoolboys days, Clarke recalls "My first game as an England Schoolboy was at Oxford United’s old ground, we beat Northern Ireland 5-0. I scored a hat-trick playing on the wing. I scored my third goal directly from a corner kick. We played West Germany in Koblenz and the Dutch in Holland. I also played at Wembley twice, against France and Wales."[7]
Clarke signed his first professional contract in March 1978,[6] and made his first team debut as a substitute on 9 May 1978 in a 2–1 win away to Ipswich Town aged 17, replacing Mel Eves in the final game of the 1977-78 season. Another debutant that day would be future England captain Terry Butcher.[8]
Now in the 1978/79 season, Clarke, still aged 17, was next named on the bench for Wolves by Sammy Chung for the visit of Bristol City and the travel to Southampton in September 1978 before starting games home to Ipswich, away at Everton, home to Arsenal and away at Middlesbrough by the end of October.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
Brian Clough, seemingly still an admirer, came calling for Clarke again that November, this time to represent England at Junior level but the club replied declining the call up and sending their apologies with the player now on the fringes of the Wolves first team.[15]
Many people were keeping tabs on the young West Midlander. Following his first start at home to Ipswich which finished in a 1-0 defeat for Wolves, Ipswich manager Ron Atkinson met Clarke in the club boardroom to pass on some advice. Clarke recalls 'Big Ron' telling him “I thought you played really well today and I will look forward to watching your career. I know you were beaten today but don’t be too down-hearted. When I made my debut, we lost five."[16]
A month on from Clarkes 18th birthday with Wolves sat 20th in the table (of 22 teams), Clarke scored his first Wolves goal in a 3-3 draw versus QPR away at Loftus Road.[17]
In total the teenager would make 9 appearances that season with the club finishing 18th in the league.[18]
Clarke would feature 20 times with 2 goals during the 1979/80 season which would result in the club finishing 6th in the league and was a member of the 16-man travelling squad when Wolves won the
Clarke made 22 starts and 10 appearances off the bench during the 1980/81 season including coming on as a 78th minute substitute in Eindhoven as Wolves faced PSV in UEFA Cup and was a member of the team that suffered relegation from the First Division in 1981/82 but reclaimed their top flight status the following season contributing with 42 starts and 13 goals.[21][22][23]
Clarke left the club at the end of the 1983 - 84 season following a second relegation from the top flight, contributing a further 10 goals in 36 appearances. "In my last season at Wolves (1983/84), I was on a monthly rolling contract. I would have gladly signed a new contract if they’d improved the squad, but they never did. We were relegated again at the end of the season and I realised I had to leave." Stated Clarke in a 2022 interview.[24][25]
He scored 33 goals in 170 appearances in all competitions[26] before Ron Saunders took him to Second Division Birmingham City in 1984. The fee of £80,000 was set by tribunal and included a clause entitling Wolves to half of any profit made from a future sale of the player.[27]
Birmingham City
Clarke scored 19 goals in his first season at Birmingham, which made him their leading scorer. His 17 league goals made a major contribution to the club winning promotion from the Second Division in
Everton
Joining Everton in the closing months of the 1986–87 season, Clarke quickly established himself as a key member of Everton's championship-winning side scoring five goals in ten games, notably the winning goal away at
Leicester City
When Clarke moved to Leicester there was interest in him from Ron Atkinson at Sheffield Wednesday, Jim Smith at Newcastle United as well as David Pleat at Leicester.[37]
Despite scoring on his debut for the club, Clarke's return to the Second Division was brief. After just 11 league games and one goal, Clarke returned to the top flight with Manchester City, managed by Howard Kendall who had bought him for Everton three years earlier. He moved in a part-exchange deal valued at £650,000 which saw David Oldfield join Leicester.[38]
Manchester City
Clarke was unable to claim a regular place in the Manchester City side. While at Maine Road he was loaned to Shrewsbury Town, where he scored six goals in seven games, then to Stoke City (three goals in nine matches), and then back to Wolves, where he was viewed as a potential partner for Steve Bull. However his first appearance for the club lasted just 20 minutes before he punctured a lung, returned to Manchester City, and on his return to fitness was not allowed out on loan again.[35]
Clarke recalls a particular incident playing for Manchester City with fondness involving Brian Clough who was a family friend and had tried to sign Clarke as a schoolboy, then as a England youth.
"Some years later, I went on as a half-time substitute for Manchester City at the City Ground and felt a sharp nudge in the back as I was making my way down the tunnel. It came with an unmistakable voice: ‘Young man, you’d have been a better player if you had come and signed for me.’ I smiled, made my way on to the pitch and, mid-way through the half, scored with a diving header to clinch victory. I turned towards the dug-outs and there was Cloughie giving me his distinctive thumbs-up as if to say ‘great goal, son.'”[39]
Walsall
Clarke's next move came in the summer of 1992 when he joined
Shrewsbury Town
Clarke spent two seasons at
Managerial career
Clarke was appointed
Career statistics
Source:[44]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[A] | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1977–78 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
1978–79 | First Division | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
1979–80 | First Division | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
1980–81 | First Division | 24 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
1981–82 | First Division | 29 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 6 | |
1982–83 | Second Division | 39 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 12 | |
1983–84 | First Division | 31 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 9 | |
Total | 148 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 170 | 33 | ||
Birmingham City | 1984–85 | Second Division | 40 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 19 |
1985–86 | First Division | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 5 | |
1986–87 | Second Division | 24 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 19 | |
Total | 92 | 38 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 105 | 43 | ||
Everton | 1986–87 | First Division | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 |
1987–88 | First Division | 27 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 12 | |
1988–89 | First Division | 20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 5 | |
Total | 57 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 76 | 22 | ||
Leicester City | 1989–90 | Second Division | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
Manchester City | 1989–90 | First Division | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
1990–91 | First Division | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
1991–92 | First Division | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
Total | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 2 | ||
Shrewsbury Town (loan) | 1990–91 | Third Division | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 6 |
Stoke City (loan) | 1990–91 | Third Division | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 1991–92 | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Walsall | 1992–93 | Third Division | 39 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 48 | 24 |
Shrewsbury Town | 1993–94 | Third Division | 28 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 11 |
1994–95 | Third Division | 31 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 12 | |
Total | 59 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 68 | 23 | ||
Career Total | 444 | 141 | 30 | 1 | 32 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 520 | 158 |
- A. UEFA Cup.
Honours
- with Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Second Division promotion 1983
- with Birmingham City
- Second Division promotion 1985
- Club's leading scorer 1984–85, 1986–87
- with Everton
- First Division champions 1986–87
- FA Charity Shield winners 1987
- with Shrewsbury Town
- Division Three (level 4) champions 1993–94
References
- ^ a b c "Wayne Clarke". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
- ^ "Former Player Remembers: Wayne Clarke". www.lcfc.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Wolves sign up Clarke No 5". The Times. 1 March 1976. p. 8.
His signature has been one of the most sought-after in English football, and Wolves have faced competition from nearly all the leading clubs in the country.
- ^ "Wolves Heroes » Blog Archive » Why Wayne Said 'No' To Clough". Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
- ^ "Former Player Remembers: Wayne Clarke". www.lcfc.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Ipswich Town (a) 1977/78". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Bristol City (H) 1978/79". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Southampton (a) 1978/79". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Ipswich Town (H) 1978/79". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Everton (a) 1978/79". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Arsenal (H) 1978/79". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Middlesbrough (a) 1978/79". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Wolves Heroes » Blog Archive » Young Man…..What Do You Mean 'No'?". Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Wolves Heroes » Blog Archive » A Word To The Wise From Legend". Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Queens Park Rangers (a) 1978/79". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Appearances & Scorers 1978/79". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Lloyd must lose his place at Wembley". The Times. 14 March 1980. p. 14.
- ^ "Appearances & Scorers 1979/80". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Appearances & Scorers 1980/81". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "PSV Eindovern (a) 1980/81 UC". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Appearances & Scorers 1982/83". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Former Player Remembers: Wayne Clarke". www.lcfc.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Appearances & Scorers 1983/84". Wolverhampton Wanderers. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Shrewsbury & Wolves: A History". Shrewsbury Wolves Supporters Club. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
- ^ a b Jones, Stuart (10 March 1987). "League to rule on Clarke move" (reprint). The Times. NewsBank. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
- ^ Matthews. Birmingham City: A Complete Record. pp. 220–22, 244.
- ^ "Wolves Heroes » Blog Archive » Young Man…..What Do You Mean 'No'?". Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Matthews. Birmingham City: A Complete Record. p. 44.
- ^ a b "VII: Howard's first time (1981–87): A championship for the entire team in 1986–87". Toffeeweb (an Everton fansite). Retrieved 26 January 2008.
Still, perhaps the most important buy was Wayne Clark, bought from Birmingham to replace the injured Graeme Sharp.
- ^ "A History of Wolves". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 16 July 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2008.
- ^ Matthews. Birmingham City: A Complete Record. pp. 89, 127.
- ^ Moore, Glenn (4 May 1998). "The new Arsenal take the title in stirring style". The Independent. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
Eleven years ago on this ground a Wayne Clarke goal proved the decisive moment as Everton overhauled Liverpool to win their ninth league title.
- ^ a b Shaw, Phil (2 December 1995). "Wayne enjoying his brave new world". The Independent. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- ^ "VIII: Top to bottom (1987–94): Big investments for a new team". Toffeeweb. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
- ^ "Former Player Remembers: Wayne Clarke". www.lcfc.com. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Ross, Ian; Taylor, Louise (9 January 1990). "Kendall admits that City's search for talent is incomplete" (reprint). The Times. NewsBank. Retrieved 27 January 2008.
- ^ "Wolves Heroes » Blog Archive » Why Wayne Said 'No' To Clough". Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ Edwards, Leigh. "Ultimate Saddlers A-Z 4". Walsall F.C. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
- ^ "Sporting Digest: Football". The Independent. 4 July 1995. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- ^ Metcalf, Rupert (22 November 1996). "King marks Telford's change". The Independent. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
- ^ "Former striker wants Walsall manager's job". 4thegame.co.uk. 11 June 1997. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
- ^ Wayne Clarke at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
External links
- Wayne Clarke at Soccerbase
- Wayne Clarke at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database