17 clubs in 13 years, meet the ultimate journeyman pro... By Joe Bernstein
WATCHING transfer deadline day unfold brought back some memories for Leon Clarke. On the final day of the January window in 2015, he turned up to training at Wolves only to end the day as a Wigan Athletic player after a quick trip home and several hours of waiting to sign paperwork.
Clarke’s current club, Sheffield United, are the 17th of his career, the highest number of any current Football League player — and he’s only 31.
‘I didn’t imagine my career would go the way it has done,’ is his understated response. ‘Sometimes circumstances are out of your control and at other times you move to play football rather than sitting back to pick up your money.’
Clarke once took a pay cut to leave Premier League QPR for League Two Swindon because he wanted regular games.
He started off idolising Steve Bull as a nine-year-old at the Wolves School of Excellence. Little did he know he would move home 15 times and never play more than a couple of years in one place. Fortunately, his mum has friends in the removals business.
And his favourites? ‘Southend was really enjoyable. Chesterfield, Scunthorpe too. I had a good partnership with Callum Wilson at Coventry, after a couple of training sessions I could see he had blistering pace and thought “He’s going to make my life easy!”
‘The biggest clubs I’ve played for are Wolves, QPR, Sheffield Wednesday and now Sheffield United. I love Sheffield as a city. Northern fans seem to be more passionate.’
Two years ago, Wolves took him back from Coventry for £750,000. The following year he was off to Bury on a free transfer via that loan at Wigan. This summer United paid a six-figure fee for him and gave him a three-year deal.
‘I’ve got a little boy, Shia, who is six months. We’ve got a home in Bromsgrove and I don’t want to move any more,’ he says. ‘I’ve lost count of the times I’ve moved. I once went from QPR to Preston, rented an apartment and the loan got cancelled after two months.
‘Sheffield United are a massive club and the contract shows they have a lot of belief in me. The club have been in League One too long and we want promotion.’
After a poor start to the season, they face Gillingham today hoping to build on last weekend’s first win of the season against Oxford.
Clarke has kept a few close friends from the various clubs he has played for, including Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and David Davis of Birmingham City. Going into a new environment has made him something of a psychologist.
‘I tend to sit back and observe, try to work everyone out, who the jokers are, the quiet ones. Initially, I keep myself to myself, ease my way into it. Once or twice I’ve not fitted in with the group. But if you force it you’re not being true to yourself.’
Of the different managers, he recalls Glenn Hoddle at Wolves. ‘He was amazing for my career. I enjoyed his methods and he’d join in training from time to time,’ he says.
Paolo Di Canio at Swindon was a different matter. They came to blows on the touchline after a League Cup tie with Southampton in 2011. ‘He was enthusiastic and passionate but I knew I couldn’t play for him again,’ says Clarke.
Chesterfield’s John Sheridan helped revive his career and Bury’s David Flitcroft was an understanding figure when Clarke’s father was tragically killed in a pub assault.
Clarke’s future is hard to predict but he craves stability at Bramall Lane. ‘It would be nice to stay here,’ he says.