Clarke Carlisle facts for kids
Carlisle playing for Burnley in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Clarke James Carlisle | ||
| Date of birth | 14 October 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Preston, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1997 | Blackpool | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2000 | Blackpool | 93 | (7) |
| 2000–2004 | Queens Park Rangers | 96 | (6) |
| 2004–2005 | Leeds United | 35 | (4) |
| 2005–2007 | Watford | 36 | (3) |
| 2007 | → Luton Town (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2007–2012 | Burnley | 131 | (7) |
| 2011–2012 | → Preston North End (loan) | 20 | (3) |
| 2012 | → Northampton Town (loan) | 18 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | York City | 10 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → Northampton Town (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2013 | Northampton Town | 21 | (3) |
| Total | 470 | (34) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000 | England U21 | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Clarke James Carlisle (born 14 October 1979) is a former English footballer. He played as a defender and later became the chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).
Born in Preston, Clarke started playing football when he was young. His father, who played semi-professionally, inspired him. Carlisle played for his home county, Lancashire, at youth level. His professional career began in September 1997 with Blackpool. In May 2000, he moved to Queens Park Rangers. That same year, he played three times for the England under-21 national team.
Carlisle faced some challenges during his time at Queens Park Rangers. He had a serious knee injury that doctors thought might end his career. He also took a break from football to deal with personal health issues. In 2004, he joined Leeds United. After one season with Leeds, he signed with Watford in August 2005. Watford earned promotion to the Premier League in the 2005–06 season. However, a thigh injury kept Carlisle from playing much in the top league.
In August 2007, Burnley signed Carlisle for £200,000. In the 2008–09 season, he helped Burnley reach the League Cup semi-finals. They also won the play-off final, beating Sheffield United 1–0. This win brought Burnley back to the top tier of English football after 33 years. Carlisle was named the best player in that final match.
Carlisle is known for being a strong defender. He is also a Christian and attends church regularly. He is very intelligent and was even named "Britain's Brainiest Footballer" in a TV game show in 2002. He has been an ambassador for the Kick It Out campaign. This campaign works for fairness and equality in football. He has also spoken openly about his past struggles with mental health.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Carlisle was born in Preston, Lancashire. He grew up there with his parents, Mervin and Rose. He studied advanced mathematics and politics while recovering from an injury. This was at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College.
Carlisle also earned a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting. He got this from Staffordshire University. He has shown interest in becoming a teacher after his football career.
Club Football Career
Starting His Football Journey
Carlisle was inspired by his father, Mervin, who played football semi-professionally. Clarke started playing at a young age. He represented Lancashire at the under-15 level. Then, he joined Blackpool as a youth trainee.
He signed his first professional contract with Blackpool on 13 August 1997. On 2 September 1997, he made his debut for the team. This was in a 4–3 win against Wrexham. He scored his first professional goal in the next match. It was a winning goal against Carlisle United.
In his first season, he played 12 matches and scored two goals. The next season, he played 43 matches. Blackpool finished 14th in the Second Division. In the 1999–2000 season, he played 51 times and scored five goals. Blackpool was relegated to the Third Division that year. Even though the team went down, Carlisle's strong play caught the eye of Queens Park Rangers.
Playing for Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers signed Carlisle for £250,000 on 25 May 2000. He played his first match for them on 12 August 2000. This was a 0–0 draw with Birmingham City. He played 31 more times in the 2000–01 season and scored three goals. This led to him being called up to the England national under-21 team.
His season ended early on 31 January 2001 due to a serious knee injury. Doctors thought his career might be over. While he was out, Queens Park Rangers were relegated to the Second Division. After missing the entire 2001–02 season, Carlisle returned to play on 7 September 2002. He scored two goals in 41 matches in the 2002–03 season. He helped the team reach the play-offs, but they lost the final to Cardiff City.
During the next season, Carlisle faced personal challenges. He missed a month of the season for treatment. When he returned, he won an award for Player of the Month. In 2003–04, Queens Park Rangers finished second in the league. This earned them promotion to the Championship. Carlisle's contract ended that season.
Time at Leeds United
In June 2004, Carlisle joined Leeds United on a free transfer. He wanted to move back to northern England. He signed a two-year contract that started on 1 July 2004. He made his debut on 21 August in a 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest.
He scored his first goal for Leeds two matches later. It was in a 3–0 win against Coventry City. He played regularly for the first half of the season. However, he got another major injury in November 2004. He tore his ankle ligaments, which kept him out for several weeks.
When he was fit again, it was hard for him to get back into the starting team. He made a few substitute appearances. Carlisle regained his place towards the end of the season. He left Leeds in the summer of 2005. He played 38 matches and scored four goals for the team.
Watford and Luton Town
Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd was happy to sign Carlisle in August 2005. Carlisle started playing for Watford right away. He made his debut on 6 August 2005. On 29 August 2005, he scored his first goal for the club. It was the winning goal against Derby County. Soon after, he scored two goals in a match for the first time in his career. This was in a League Cup win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In the 2005–06 season, Carlisle played 35 matches and scored five goals. He helped Watford reach the play-offs. They finished third in the Championship. Watford then beat Leeds 3–0 in the play-off final. This earned them promotion to the FA Premier League.
An injury kept Carlisle out for the first eight months of the 2006–07 Premier League season. He returned to training in February 2007. On 2 March 2007, Carlisle joined Luton Town on a one-month loan. He played five matches for Luton. He returned to Watford on 2 April 2007. He finally played his first Premier League match on 9 April 2007. This was a 4–2 win over Portsmouth. He also played in an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United. Watford lost, but Carlisle was named man of the match.
Burnley and Loan Spells
On 14 August 2007, Burnley manager Steve Cotterill offered £200,000 for Carlisle. He signed a three-year contract two days later. He made his debut for Burnley on 16 August 2007. Carlisle scored his first goal for Burnley on 22 September 2007. It was a late equalizer against Bristol City. He and captain Steven Caldwell formed a strong defensive partnership. Carlisle ended the 2007–08 season with two goals in 35 appearances.
The 2008–09 season was Burnley's first full season with Owen Coyle as manager. Carlisle kept his place in the team. He scored four goals in the last two months of the season. These goals helped Burnley finish fifth in the Championship. This earned them a spot in the play-offs. He played in the semi-final against Reading. Burnley won and reached the final at Wembley Stadium. Carlisle was named man of the match in the final. Burnley beat Sheffield United 1–0. This promoted them to the Premier League for the 2009–10 season.
Carlisle believed Burnley could stay in the Premier League. He played in Burnley's first top-flight match in 33 years. They lost 2–0 to Stoke City. He also played in their first Premier League win, a 1–0 victory over Manchester United. He signed a new two-year contract in May 2010.
In the 2010–11 season, he scored a late equalizer against Ipswich Town. He made 41 appearances that season. In July 2011, he joined his hometown club Preston North End on loan.
Carlisle made his Preston debut on 6 August 2011. He scored his first goal for the club three matches later. He was a regular starter for Preston. His loan deal was cancelled in January 2012. This was because he found it hard to balance training with his PFA chairman duties.
Later that day, Carlisle joined Northampton Town on loan. He was made captain upon his arrival. He played 18 matches and scored one goal for Northampton. He was released by Burnley in May 2012.
York City and Northampton Town Return
Carlisle signed for York City on 30 August 2012. He made his debut two days later in a 3–1 win over Oxford United. On 19 November 2012, Carlisle rejoined Northampton Town on loan. He made five appearances on loan. He then made his move to Northampton permanent on 4 January 2013. He played for Northampton in the 2013 League Two play-off final. They lost 3–0 to Bradford. Five days later, on 23 May 2013, Carlisle announced he was retiring from playing football.
International Career
While playing for Queens Park Rangers, Carlisle was chosen to play for the England national under-21 team three times. He made his debut on 31 August 2000. This was in a 6–1 friendly win over Georgia.
His second appearance was in a qualifying match against Germany. His third and final match for England was against Finland. Even though he played well, he was not selected for the under-21 team again.
Playing Style
Carlisle mainly played as a centre-back. He was known as a "defensive lynchpin." He said he looked up to defenders like Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister when he was young. Carlisle is known for being a very smart footballer. He was an imposing figure in defense because of his height, which is 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters). He also used his height to be a threat when attacking from set pieces like free kicks and corner kicks. He scored 39 goals in his career.
Roles with the PFA
Carlisle is an ambassador for the Kick It Out campaign. This group works to promote fairness and equality in football. He was also on the Management Committee of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA). On 17 November 2010, Carlisle became the chairman of the PFA.
Carlisle was among those who spoke out against FIFA president Sepp Blatter in November 2011. Blatter had made comments about racism in football. In February 2012, Carlisle met with British prime minister David Cameron. They discussed issues like racism and homophobia in sports.
Media Work
In October 2009, Carlisle first appeared on the BBC football show Match of the Day 2. He has also worked as a football expert for Sky Sports and ITV Sport. Carlisle has appeared on the BBC debate show Question Time. He was the first footballer to be on the program.
In July 2012, he presented a documentary on BBC Three called Is Football Racist?. In this show, he interviewed former footballers about their experiences with racism. He also looked into the history of racism in English football. He presented another documentary for BBC Three on 9 July 2013. It was called Football's ... Secret and discussed mental health in football. He published his autobiography, You Don't Know Me, But... A Footballer's Life, in 2013. In 2025, Carlisle appeared on the 1% Club for Soccer Aid. He won the show, earning money for UNICEF and Soccer Aid.
Personal Life
Carlisle was encouraged to follow Christianity by his parents from a young age. He became a regular churchgoer during his time at Watford. Carlisle was married to Gemma, and they had a son (born 2007) and a daughter (born 2010). He also has another daughter from a previous relationship. He is good friends with Adebayo Akinfenwa, a former teammate.
On 30 January 2002, Carlisle won the title of "Britain's Brainiest Footballer" in a TV quiz. He also appeared as a contestant on the Channel 4 game show Countdown in February 2010. He won his first two matches but was defeated in his third.
Carlisle has openly shared his experiences with mental health challenges. He has become an advocate for mental well-being. On 15 September 2017, he was reported missing but was later found safe. He has since continued to speak about the importance of mental health support. He and his wife Carrie are both advocates for mental health.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Blackpool | 1997–98 | Second Division | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| 1998–99 | Second Division | 39 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 1 | |
| 1999–2000 | Second Division | 43 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 5 | |
| Total | 93 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 106 | 8 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2000–01 | First Division | 27 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 3 | |
| 2001–02 | Second Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Second Division | 36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 2 | |
| 2003–04 | Second Division | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
| Total | 96 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 112 | 6 | ||
| Leeds United | 2004–05 | Championship | 35 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 38 | 4 | |
| Watford | 2005–06 | Championship | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 5 |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 36 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 5 | ||
| Luton Town (loan) | 2006–07 | Championship | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Burnley | 2007–08 | Championship | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 35 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | Championship | 36 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 4 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Championship | 35 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 41 | 3 | ||
| Total | 131 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 152 | 9 | ||
| Preston North End (loan) | 2011–12 | League One | 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| Northampton Town (loan) | 2011–12 | League Two | 18 | 1 | — | — | — | 18 | 1 | |||
| York City | 2012–13 | League Two | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
| Northampton Town | 2012–13 | League Two | 26 | 3 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 29 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 470 | 34 | 22 | 2 | 29 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 541 | 39 | ||
Honours
Queens Park Rangers
- Football League Second Division runners-up: 2003–04
Burnley
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2008–09
