Jessica Clarke (footballer)

Jessica Anne Clarke (born 5 May 1989) is an English footballer who plays as a winger or forward for FA Women's Championship club Durham and the England national team. After beginning her career with hometown team Leeds United (known as Leeds Carnegie between 2008 and 2010), Clarke joined Lincoln Ladies in 2010 and remained with the club when it re-branded as Notts County four years later. After six seasons at Notts County, Clarke signed for league rivals Liverpool in April 2017. Since making her senior England debut in 2009, Clarke has won over 50 caps. She has represented her country at two editions of the UEFA Women's Championship and at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Jessica Clarke
Clarke playing for Liverpool in 2019
Personal information
Full name Jessica Anne Clarke[1]
Date of birth (1989-05-05) 5 May 1989
Place of birth Leeds,[2] England
Height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)[3]
Position(s) Winger, Forward
Team information
Current team
 Durham
Number 23
Youth career
0000–2004 Leeds Carnegie Ladies
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2010 Leeds Carnegie Ladies
2010–2017 Notts County 82 (24)
2017–2021 Liverpool 49 (8)
2021–2022 Sheffield United 13 (2)
2022– Durham 11 (2)
International career‡
2008 England U19 7 (0)
2009–2015 England 52 (11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:45, 5 February 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:13, 9 June 2017 (UTC)

Club career
Playing for Notts County in July 2015

Clarke joined Leeds at Under-14 level,[4] progressing through the youth teams to make the senior squad.[5] At the age of 16, Clarke started the 2006 FA Women's Cup final, but conceded a penalty in Leeds' 5–0 defeat by Arsenal.[6] In 2006–07, Leeds reached the final of the FA Women's Premier League Cup. Despite a much improved performance, including a substitute cameo from Clarke, Leeds lost out to an injury–time strike from Arsenal's Jayne Ludlow.[7]

In Leeds' third major final in as many years, Clarke scored a consolation goal in the 2008 FA Women's Cup final – a 4–1 loss to Arsenal.[8] At the fourth time of asking, Clarke started a 3–1 Premier League Cup final win over Everton on 11 February 2010, to help Leeds win their first major silverware.[9]

She signed for FA WSL club Lincoln Ladies alongside several Leeds teammates in August 2010.[10] Lincoln's capture of the "pacy winger" was seen as a major signing for the club.[11]

At the end of the WSL season Clarke joined FA Women's Premier League Northern Division strugglers Leeds City Vixens on loan.[12]

It was announced that Lincoln Ladies FC was to be started as a new football club for the 2014 FA WSL season and would be crossing the border to become Notts County Ladies. Clarke stayed with the team for the move and was a vital player in their season. Scoring many goals during the season and dominating play in her new role as a striker earned Clarke a nomination for FA Women's Players' Player of the Season.[13]

On 25 May 2021 she was released from Liverpool after making 68 appearances overall.[14]

International career

Clarke represented England at Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 level.[5] At the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile, Clarke's wing–play was a key feature of England's run to the quarter-final stage. A FIFA.com article hailed Clarke as "the wizard of the dribble."[3] She made her senior debut in March 2009, against South Africa in the Cyprus Cup, as a second-half substitute for Karen Carney.[15] Clarke then scored in only her second appearance, the third goal in a 3–0 win over Scotland.[16]

In August 2009 she was named in coach Hope Powell's squad for Euro 2009.[17] Clarke made her first competitive start in the semi-final win over the Netherlands, as manager Hope Powell utilised the 20-year–old's pace and energy to tire the Dutch full–backs, before introducing substitute Karen Carney to decisive effect.[18]

Clarke continued to be selected during England's 2011 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, contributing two goals in an 8–0 win over Malta.[16] In a World Cup warm–up friendly against the United States, Clarke opened the scoring in England's 2–1 win at Brisbane Road.[19] June 2012 saw Clarke named as one of four reserves to the 18-player Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics.[20] Her absence from the main squad was attributed to injury and loss of form.[21]

After attending UEFA Women's Euro 2013 as a squad player, Clarke was overlooked by new head coach Mark Sampson for the first six months of his reign before being recalled in May 2014.[22] Clarke was disappointed to be left out of England's squad for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, where they finished third. But she vowed to bounce back: "As an athlete you have to take those knocks. It is how you come back from it and learn from it."[23]

Clarke was allotted 168 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[24][25]

International goals
Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentResultCompetitionScored
110 March 2009Larnaca Scotland3–0Cyprus Cup1
325 October 2009Bloomfield Road, Blackpool Malta8–02011 FIFA World Cup Qual.2
420 May 2010Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali Malta6–02011 FIFA World Cup Qual.1
529 July 2010Bescot Stadium, Walsall Turkey3–02011 FIFA World Cup Qual.1
62 April 2011Brisbane Road, London United States2–1Friendly1
71 July 2011Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, Dresden New Zealand2–12011 FIFA Women's World Cup1
823 November 2011Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster Serbia2–02013 UEFA Championship Qual.1
931 March 2012Sajmište, Vrbovec Croatia6–02013 UEFA Championship Qual.1
106 March 2013GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus Italy4–22013 Cyprus Cup1
114 March 2015GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus Finland3–12015 Cyprus Cup1

Personal life

In addition to playing for Leeds Carnegie Ladies, in September 2009 Clarke enrolled at Leeds Metropolitan University as a student, along with teammates Carly Telford and Sue Smith.[26] She had previously attended the FA Player Development Centre at Loughborough University.[27] Clarke went to Grimes Dyke Primary School followed by John Smeaton High School in Leeds and was brought up by her single mother, Carol Stapleton.[28]

References
  1. "List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  2. Beth Neil (10 September 2009). "England's lionesses; Pole dancer, juggler, lawyer, mum..our women's Euro finalists". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  3. Tony Leighton (28 November 2008). "England looking to dribble wizard Clarke". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  4. Glenn Lavery (11 February 2010). "Fourth time lucky?". TheFA.com. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  5. "Jess Clarke". Leeds Carnegie Ladies. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  6. "Arsenal Ladies 5–0 Leeds Ladies". BBC Sport. 1 May 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  7. "Ludlow levels Leeds". TheFA.com. 4 March 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  8. Stuart Ornstein (5 May 2008). "FA Cup win secures Arsenal double". BBC. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  9. Tony Leighton (11 February 2010). "Leeds Carnegie lift first major trophy with defeat of Everton". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  10. "England duo Clarke and Bradley join Lincoln Ladies". BBC Sport. 3 August 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  11. David Brenchley. "Double is major coup for Lady Imps". Give me football. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  12. "Lauren Asquith/Sheffield Wednesday WFC/N.Ireland U17s". She Kicks. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  13. Trehan, Dev (12 November 2014). "Notts County Ladies forward Jess Clarke stunned by nomination". Sky Sports. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  14. Lea, Connie (25 May 2021). "Liverpool announce the departure of five senior players". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  15. Tony Leighton (6 March 2009). "England 6–0 South Africa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  16. "England Women's POTY – Midfielders". TheFA.com. 3 January 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  17. Tony Leighton (4 August 2009). "England drop Yankey for Euro 2009". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  18. Richard Williams (8 September 2009). "Could Hope Powell be the best hope to succeed Fabio Capello?". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  19. Tony Leighton (2 April 2011). "England women warm up for World Cup with victory over USA". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  20. "Women's Olympic Football Tournament London 2012 – List of Players Great Britain" (PDF). FIFA. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  21. Phillips, Owen (12 June 2014). "Jess Clarke: Notts County Ladies striker embraces England recall". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  22. Lavery, Glenn (5 May 2014). "Jess Clarke 'over the moon' with her England recall". The Football Association. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  23. "Jess Clarke: Notts County forward learns from World Cup omission". BBC Sport. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  24. "England squad named for World Cup". The Football Association. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  25. Lacey-Hatton, Jack (18 November 2022). "Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present". mirror. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  26. "England caps for Leeds Carnegie Ladies". Leeds Metropolitan University. 14 July 2009. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
  27. Tony Leighton (8 September 2009). "Who's who in the England squad facing Germany in the European Championship final". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  28. Wobschall, Leon (9 May 2015). "Saturday Interview: Debt to teacher who inspired Clarke's rise". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
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