Clarke Carlisle facts for kids
Carlisle playing for Burnley in 2009
|
|||
| 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) | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 2000 | England U21 | 3 | (0) |
|
|||
Clarke James Carlisle (born 14 October 1979) is an English former professional 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. He was inspired by his father, who played semi-professionally. Clarke even played for his home county, Lancashire, at a youth level. His professional career began in September 1997 when he made his debut for Blackpool. He later played for several other clubs, including Queens Park Rangers, Leeds United, Watford, and Burnley.
Carlisle is known for being a strong defender. He was also named "Britain's Brainiest Footballer" in a TV game show in 2002. Beyond football, he is a Christian and works as an ambassador for the Kick It Out campaign, which promotes fairness in football. He also served as chairman of the PFA, helping to represent footballers.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Clarke 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 that kept him from playing football. Clarke also has a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting from Staffordshire University. He has shown interest in becoming a teacher after his football career.
Football Career Highlights
Starting at Blackpool
Clarke was inspired to become a footballer by his father, Mervin, who played for teams like Morecambe. Clarke played for Lancashire at under-15 level before joining Blackpool as a trainee. He signed his first professional contract on 13 August 1997.
His first game for Blackpool was on 2 September 1997, a 4–3 win against Wrexham. He scored his first professional goal in the very next match, a 2–1 victory against Carlisle United at Blackpool's home ground, Bloomfield Road. In his first season, he played 12 matches and scored two goals.
Over three years at Blackpool, Clarke played 93 league games and scored seven goals. Even though the team was relegated to the Third Division, his strong defending caught the eye of Queens Park Rangers.
Time at Queens Park Rangers
On 25 May 2000, Queens Park Rangers (QPR) signed Clarke for £250,000. He played his first game for QPR on 12 August 2000. In his first season, he played 31 more games and scored three goals. This led to him being called up to the England national under-21 team.
However, his season ended early on 31 January 2001 due to a serious knee injury. This injury kept him out of action for a whole year. While he was recovering, QPR was relegated to the Second Division. He returned to play in September 2002 and helped QPR reach the play-offs in the 2002–03 season. They lost the final 1–0 to Cardiff City.
In the 2003–04 season, QPR finished second in the league, earning promotion to the Championship. Clarke's contract with QPR ended that season. He played 96 games and scored six goals for the club.
Moving to Leeds United
In June 2004, Clarke joined Leeds United on a free transfer. He wanted to move back to northern England. He signed a two-year contract and made his debut for Leeds on 21 August. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win against Coventry City.
He played regularly until November 2004, when he suffered another ankle injury that kept him out for several weeks. When he returned, he found it hard to get back into the starting team. He played 38 matches and scored four goals for Leeds before leaving in the summer of 2005.
Playing for Watford and Luton Town
In August 2005, Clarke signed a three-year contract with Championship club Watford. He made his debut for Watford on 6 August 2005. He scored his first goal for the club on 29 August in a 2–1 win against Derby County. Soon after, he scored two goals in a single match for the first time in his career, helping Watford win 2–1 against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In the 2005–06 season, Clarke played 35 games and scored five goals. Watford finished third in the Championship and won promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs. However, Clarke missed the play-offs due to a thigh injury.
This injury also caused him to miss most of the 2006–07 Premier League season. To regain fitness, he joined Luton Town on a one-month loan in March 2007, playing five matches. He finally made his Premier League debut for Watford on 9 April 2007. He also played in an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, where he was named man of the match, even though Watford lost.
Success with Burnley and Loan Spells
On 14 August 2007, Burnley signed Clarke for £200,000. He quickly settled in and made his debut two days later. He scored his first goal for Burnley on 22 September 2007 with an amazing overhead kick. He and captain Steven Caldwell formed a strong defensive team.
In the 2008–09 season, Clarke played over 40 matches. Burnley reached the semi-finals of the League Cup and finished fifth in the league, earning a spot in the play-offs. Clarke was named man of the match in the play-off final as Burnley beat Sheffield United 1–0. This win meant Burnley returned to the top tier of English football for the first time in 33 years!
Clarke played in Burnley's first Premier League match in 33 years on 15 August 2009. He also played when Burnley got their first ever Premier League win, a 1–0 victory over Manchester United. Although Burnley was relegated at the end of the season, Clarke signed a new two-year contract.
In July 2011, he joined his hometown club Preston North End on loan for the 2011–12 season. He played 27 matches and scored three goals for Preston. Later that season, he joined Northampton Town on loan, where he was made captain. He played 18 matches and scored one goal for Northampton. Burnley released him in May 2012.
Final Years at York City and Northampton
On 30 August 2012, Clarke signed for newly promoted League Two club York City. He made his debut two days later in a 3–1 win. In November 2012, he returned to Northampton Town on loan, and then signed permanently in January 2013.
He played for Northampton in the 2013 League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium, where they lost 3–0 to Bradford City. Five days later, on 23 May 2013, Clarke Carlisle announced his retirement from playing professional football.
Playing for England
While playing for Queens Park Rangers, Clarke was chosen to play for the England national under-21 team three times in 2000. He made his debut on 31 August 2000 in a friendly match against Georgia. He also played in two qualifying matches for the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship against Germany and Finland.
How He Played the Game
Clarke Carlisle mainly played as a centre-back, which is a central defender. He was known as a "defensive lynchpin," meaning he was a very important player in the defense. He is tall, standing at 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), which made him an imposing figure. This height also helped him be a threat when attacking from set pieces like free kicks and corner kicks. He scored 39 goals throughout his career.
He was known for being a very intelligent footballer. While he wasn't the fastest player, he was good at reading the game and predicting what opponents would do.
Beyond the Pitch: PFA and Media Work
His Role at the PFA
Clarke is an ambassador for the Kick It Out campaign. This group works to make football fair and welcoming for everyone, fighting against discrimination. He was also on the Management Committee of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA). In November 2010, he became the chairman of the PFA.
In his role with the PFA, he collected the opinions of other professional footballers and shared them with the committee. He also visited schools to talk to students. Clarke was one of the people who spoke out against FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments about racism in football. In February 2012, he met with British prime minister David Cameron to discuss racism and homophobia in the sport.
Working in Media
After his playing career, Clarke became a familiar face in the media. In October 2009, he 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.
Clarke has appeared on the BBC debate show Question Time, becoming the first footballer to do so. 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 explored the history of racism in English football. He published his autobiography, You Don't Know Me, But... A Footballer's Life, in 2013.
Personal Life and Advocacy
Clarke Carlisle is a practicing Christian. He became a regular churchgoer during his time at Watford. He is married to Carrie (née Armstrong), who is a TV presenter and columnist. Together, they are strong advocates for mental health awareness.
In 2002, Clarke won the title of "Britain's Brainiest Footballer" in a TV quiz show. He also appeared as a contestant on the Channel 4 game show Countdown in February 2010, winning two matches.
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
