Ollie Clarke

Ollie Clarke
Personal information
Full nameOliver Anthony Clarke[1]
Date of birth29 June 1992
Place of birthBristol, England
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Bristol Rovers
Number8
Youth career
–2009Bristol Rovers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2009–Bristol Rovers64(6)
2010→ Gloucester City (loan)3(0)
2010–2011→ Mangotsfield United (loan)15(3)
2012→ Clevedon Town (loan)?(?)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:23, 6 November 2014 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Oliver Anthony "Ollie" Clarke (born 29 June 1992)[3] is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder in the Conference Premier for Bristol Rovers.

Career

After progressing through the Bristol Rovers youth system, Clarke joined the professional ranks at The Pirates in 2009, alongside fellow youth team graduates Eliot Richards, Neikell Plummer, Dan Cayford, Mark Cooper, George Booth, Steve Kingdon and Jack McKenna.[4] Of this group only Clarke and Richards made any senior appearances.

Clarke failed to make any first team appearances in his first year as a Bristol Rovers player, so early in his second season he was sent out on loan to injury-stricken Gloucester City.[5] He played four games for The Tigers, three in the Conference North and one in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.[6] Shortly afterwards he was loaned to Southern League side Mangotsfield United, who he joined on Christmas Eve 2010 initially for a month.[7] He remained there for the maximum 3-month period permitted by Southern League rules after the spell was extended and he made a total of 15 appearances, all in the league, and scored three times.[8]

He eventually made his debut for Bristol Rovers in their final game of the 2010–11 season, when he came on as an 88th-minute substitute for Harry Pell against Colchester United at the Colchester Community Stadium.[9] His hopes of continuing to play first team football after the 2011 summer break were dashed however when he suffered a rupture to his anterior cruciate ligament on his first day back in training, leaving him unable to play for several months while he recovered from reconstructive surgery. His first goal for Rovers came against Portsmouth on December the 21st 2013 with a well taken goal from the edge of the box to score the first in a two nil win[10]

On 18 March 2014, Clarke signed a new two-year contract extension with the Pirates.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Search 1984 to 2006 – Birth, Marriage and Death indexes". Findmypast.com. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  2. ↑ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline. p. 442. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
  3. ↑ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2011). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2011–2012. London: Headline. p. 444. ISBN 978-0-7553-6231-8.
  4. ↑ "Squad numbers announced". Bristol Rovers Football Club. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Clarke is sett to face the Badgers". This is Gloucestershire. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ollie Clarke". Tiger Roar. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  7. ↑ "Lenny 1883" (24 December 2010). "Clarke Moves To Mangotsfield". Vital Football. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  8. ↑ "First Team – Players & Coaches – Ollie Clarke". MUFC Online. Pitch Hero Ltd. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  9. ↑ "Colchester 2–1 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  10. ↑ "Bad news for Ollie Clarke". Bristol Rovers Football Club. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  11. ↑ "OLLIE CLARKE SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION". Bristol Rovers FC. 18 March 2014.

External links