Cod Almighty | Article

by Simon Wilson

6 August 2007

Clarke came through the ranks at Mansfield, where he was given his league debut by current Town assistant manager Stuart Watkiss. It's presumably this earlier link-up, rather than last season, that prompted Town to take a chance on this lad. Why? He was a regular (36 league appearances) during Boston's troubled last term in the Football League. That side leaked 80 goals. Ouch. While he could have been surrounded by ten hopeless clowns, football is a team game; Clarke would have contributed (or not, as is the case).

The ever-reliable GTFC official site's profiles reckon that Clarke's a "versatile player" who "can play in several positions in defence or midfield". Do they actually watch the players? Pre-season he's been spotted at right-back, and then shifted into central midfield during the second half. On first impressions he's no right-back. On second impressions he still wasn't a right-back. Problems settling into the team? Neh. He just doesn't look like he's got that natural full-back brio, knowing where to sit to counter any threat down his flank, looking like a centre-back filling in. But he's been given the number 2 shirt for next season, which points to him being pencilled into Sir John McDermott's old berth (although the official website has Clarke seemingly sharing the number 16 shirt with Danny Boshell).

While he's certainly no right-back, in midfield he's a different player, able to cushion the back four, with a nous that deserts him in the back-line. There's something about him. He can give himself space and can offload the ball, and has that canny knack of nipping in to nab it back – all with what feels like an air of calm: he never seems rushed.

Where that leaves him in the pecking order behind Bosh, Bolly and Hunt, who knows. First team back-up? A year ago we were saying the same about Bosh… Clarke's 24 and given a run-out continually in the same position he could blossom, and displace one of the midfield 'regulars'. Ignore the number on his shirt, the position and player we expect him to replace. Expect nothing more than him playing a bit-part role, mucking in with a few decent performances. Anything more and we all could be rewarded.