Ollie Clarke

Ollie Clarke

Clarke playing for Bristol Rovers in 2014
Personal information
Full name Oliver Anthony Clarke
Date of birth (1992-06-29) 29 June 1992[1]
Place of birth Portishead, Somerset, England[2]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[3]
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Bristol Rovers
Number 8
Youth career
0000–2009 Bristol Rovers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009– Bristol Rovers 129 (12)
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 18:56, 5 Augustc2017 (UTC).

Oliver Anthony "Ollie" Clarke (born 29 June 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League One club Bristol Rovers.

Career

Bristol Rovers

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. He played 1 season with Rovers in the Conference, whilst achieving promotion via the playoffs. He scored 4 goals in this successful season.[11]

The following season, Clarke scored two goals for Rovers including a wonder goal against Newport County [12] His defensive and attacking efforts helped his team achieve promotion to Football League One after finishing in 3rd place. In the following summer, he signed a new deal with the club as he stated that he is "really looking forward to the challenges ahead this season". [13]

2016-17 season proved to be very successful for Clarke. He was rewarded for his fine performances when on 8 March 2017 he signed a new contract.[14] During the same month he hit a purple patch scoring 2 goals in 3 games in a vital 2-0 victory away to Oxford United [15] and a 2-1 victory at home to Chesterfield during which he scored just 30 seconds into the match. [16]

References

  1. ↑ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2011). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2011–2012. London: Headline. p. 444. ISBN 978-0-7553-6231-8.
  2. ↑ "Bristol Rovers player contracts - who is likely to stay?". Bristol Post. 8 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Rollin, Glenda; Rollin, Jack, eds. (2012). Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 (43rd ed.). London: Headline. p. 442. ISBN 978-0-7553-6356-8.
  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.
  12. ↑ "League Two: Newport County 1-4 Bristol Rovers". BBC Sport.
  13. ↑ http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/midfielder-ollie-clarke-signs-new-with-bristol-rovers-as-jermaine-easter-triggers-new-deal/story-29427013-detail/story.html
  14. ↑ "Ollie Clarke: Bristol Rovers midfielder extends deal at League One club". BBC Sport. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  15. ↑ "Oxford United 0 Bristol Rovers 2: Pirates go eight unbeaten and move to eighth in League One table". Bristol Post. 11 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "Bristol Rovers 2 Chesterfield 1: Rovers bounce back from Bury defeat to keep play-off hopes alive". Bristol Post. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
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