Bobby Clark (footballer, born 2005) explained

Bobby Clark
Full Name:Bobby Lamont Clark[1]
Birth Date:7 February 2005
Birth Place:Epsom, England
Height:1.78m (05.84feet)[2]
Position:Midfielder
Currentclub:Red Bull Salzburg
Clubnumber:10
Youthyears1:2012–2014
Youthclubs1:Birmingham City
Youthyears2:2014–2021
Youthclubs2:Newcastle United
Youthyears3:2021–2022
Youthclubs3:Liverpool
Years1:2022–2024
Clubs1:Liverpool
Caps1:6
Goals1:0
Years2:2024–
Clubs2:Red Bull Salzburg
Caps2:0
Goals2:0
Nationalyears1:2021
Nationalteam1:England U16
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2022–
Nationalteam2:England U18
Nationalcaps2:6
Nationalgoals2:1
Nationalyears3:2023
Nationalteam3:England U19
Nationalcaps3:2
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2024–
Nationalteam4:England U20
Nationalcaps4:1
Nationalgoals4:0
Club-Update:12:34, 22 August 2024 (UTC)
Nationalteam-Update:00:24, 25 March 2024 (UTC)

Bobby Lamont Clark (born 7 February 2005) is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg.

Early life

Clark trained with the academy at Birmingham City when his father, Lee Clark, was the manager there. The family moved back to the northeast of England in 2014. After visiting all the clubs in the area Clark chose to join the academy at Newcastle United.[3]

Club career

Liverpool

Clark moved to the academy of Liverpool from Newcastle United in August 2021.[4] The fee was thought to be for a total including add-ons of £1.5 million.[5] He agreed a professional contract with the club shortly after his seventeenth birthday in February 2022.[6] The contract was for five years and came with a personal guarantee from Liverpool's first team manager Jürgen Klopp that there would be a pathway to the first team available to him.[7]

Featuring for the Liverpool under-18 side in the 2021–22 season Clark scored 13 goals in 23 matches. He also made his debut for the Liverpool side that competes in the Premier League 2.[8] In the summer of 2022, Clark went with the Liverpool first-team squad on their trip to Asia for matches in Thailand and Singapore.[9] Clark has featured as part of BBC Sport website Wonderkids feature,[10] and was identified in August 2022 as one of the "Five Young English Footballers to Watch Out for" on their website.[11]

Clark was an unused substitute for Liverpool's first home game of the 2022–23 Premier League season, against Crystal Palace at Anfield. On 27 August 2022, Clark made his professional debut appearing as a substitute for Liverpool against AFC Bournemouth in a 9–0 home victory at Anfield.[12] Later that year, on 9 November, he started his first game for Liverpool in the win against Derby County in the third round of the EFL Cup at Anfield.[13]

On 25 February 2024, he featured in the EFL Cup final as Liverpool won 1–0 against Chelsea after extra time.[14] A few weeks later, on 14 March, he scored his first goal in a 6–1 Europa League win over Sparta Prague during the round of 16, in which he became the youngest player to score for Liverpool in European competitions, breaking previous record of Trent Alexander-Arnold in 2017.[15]

Red Bull Salzburg

On 22 August 2024, Clark signed for Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg on a five-year contract.[16] [17] The transfer saw him reunite with former Liverpool assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders, signing for an estimated £10 million plus a 17.5% sell-on fee.[18]

International career

Clark made his debut for England national under-16 football team against Wales U16 in April 2021.[19]

On 21 September 2022, Clark made his England U18 debut during a 1–0 win over the Netherlands in Pinatar.[20] On 6 September 2023, Clark made his England U19 debut during a 1–0 defeat to Germany in Oliva.[21]

On 22 March 2024, Clark made his debut for the England Elite League squad during a 5-1 win over Poland at the Bialystok City Stadium.[22]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupEFL CupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool U212021–221010
2022–231010
2023–241111
Total3131
Liverpool2022–23Premier League100010000020
2023–24Premier League50302021121
Total6030302100141
Career total6030302131172

Honours

Liverpool

2023–24[23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023/24 Premier League squad lists . Premier League . 13 September 2023 . 14 September 2023.
  2. Web site: Bobby Clark . worldfootball.net . 28 August 2022.
  3. Web site: Bobby Clark: The Liverpool u18s recruit who scored on his debut and has been in demand since the age of nine. The Athletic.
  4. Web site: Liverpool set to sign Newcastle teenager Bobby Clark. Goal.com.
  5. Web site: LIVERPOOL USED £1.5M SALE TO SIGN BOBBY CLARK; KLOPP 'BIG ADMIRER' ALREADY. hitc.com. 20 August 2022. 18 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210918071918/https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/09/18/liverpool-used-1-5m-sale-to-sign-bobby-clark-klopp-big-admirer-already/. dead.
  6. Web site: Bobby Clark. Liverpoolfc.com.
  7. Web site: Jurgen Klopp has big plans for ex-Newcastle United kid Bobby Clark and hands him five-year contract. Chroniclelive.co.uk. 2 March 2022 .
  8. Web site: Liverpool new signings and promotions set to be unleashed as Bobby Clark takes next step. Liverpoolecho.co.uk. 13 August 2022.
  9. Web site: Former Newcastle United youngster Bobby Clark wins Liverpool first-team call-up. Chroniclelive.co.uk. 7 July 2022.
  10. News: Newcastle academy star Clark hits top bins in Wonderkids. BBC Sport.
  11. News: Five young English footballers to watch out for. BBC Sport.
  12. Web site: B.Clark. Soccerway.com.
  13. Web site: Kelleher's shootout saves see Liverpool scrape past Derby in Carabao Cup. 9 November 2022. Guardian. 10 November 2022.
  14. Web site: Hytner . David . Liverpool win Carabao Cup as Van Dijk's extra-time header sinks Chelsea . The Guardian . 25 February 2024 . 25 February 2024.
  15. Web site: Jones . Andy . Liverpool 6 Sparta Prague 1 (11-2 on agg): Fast start finishes tie, Salah stat attack . The Athletic . 14 March 2024.
  16. Web site: New signing from Liverpool. www.redbullsalzburg.at/en. 22 August 2024. 22 August 2024.
  17. Web site: Bobby Clark completes permanent transfer to Red Bull Salzburg. www.liverpoolfc.com. 22 August 2024. 22 August 2024.
  18. Web site: Bobby Clark reunited with Lijnders at RB Salzburg as Liverpool sell for £10m. The Guardian. Hunter. Andy. 22 August 2024. 22 August 2024.
  19. Web site: ENGLAND U16 VS. WALES U16 2-3. Soccerway.
  20. Web site: Late winner seals victory for MU18s over Netherlands . Nicholas . Veevers . England Football . 21 September 2022 . 21 September 2022.
  21. Web site: Report: England MU19s 0-1 Germany. 6 September 2023. England Football.
  22. Web site: Report: Poland 1-5 England Elite League Squad. England Football . 25 March 2024.
  23. News: Chelsea 0–1 Liverpool . Phil . McNulty . BBC Sport . 25 February 2024 . 25 February 2024.