| James Clarke | |
| Fullname: | James Michael Neil Clarke[1] |
| Birth Date: | 2 April 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Birkenhead, England |
| Height: | 1.83 m[2] |
| Position: | Defender |
| Currentclub: | Solihull Moors |
| Clubnumber: | 2 |
| Youthyears1: | 2014–2018 |
| Youthclubs1: | Burnley |
| Years1: | 2018–2019 |
| Clubs1: | Burnley |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2019–2022 |
| Clubs2: | Mansfield Town |
| Caps2: | 18 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs3: | → Solihull Moors (loan) |
| Caps3: | 15 |
| Goals3: | 1 |
| Years4: | 2022– |
| Clubs4: | Solihull Moors |
| Caps4: | 99 |
| Goals4: | 3 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2018 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 15:18, 7 January 2024 (UTC) |
James Michael Neil Clarke (born 2 April 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for side Solihull Moors. Born in England, he is a youth international for the Republic of Ireland.
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.[3] He turned professional at Turf Moor in April 2018 and was named as Clarets’ Scholar of the Year the following month.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8]
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.[9]
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.[10]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Burnley | 2018–19 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mansfield Town | 2019–20 | League Two | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | League Two | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2021-22 | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |||
| Solihull Moors (loan) | 2021–22 | National League | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| Solihull Moors | |||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 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 | |||
Solihull Moors