Jessica Clarke (footballer) facts for kids
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Clarke playing for Liverpool in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jessica Anne Clarke | ||
| Date of birth | 5 May 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||
| Height | 1.63 m | ||
| Playing position | Winger, Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Durham | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2004 | Leeds Carnegie Ladies | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2010 | Leeds Carnegie Ladies | ||
| 2010–2017 | Notts County | 82 | (24) |
| 2017–2021 | Liverpool | 49 | (8) |
| 2021–2022 | Sheffield United | 13 | (2) |
| 2022– | Durham | 11 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008 | England U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2009–2015 | England | 52 | (11) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Jessica Anne Clarke (born 5 May 1989) is an English football player. She plays as a winger or forward. Currently, she plays for FA Women's Championship club Durham. Jessica also played for the England national team.
She started her career with her hometown team, Leeds United. Later, she joined Lincoln Ladies in 2010. This club later changed its name to Notts County. After six seasons, Clarke moved to Liverpool in 2017. She first played for the senior England team in 2009. She has played over 50 games for her country. Jessica has also played in two UEFA Women's Championship tournaments. She also played in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
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Jessica Clarke's Club Journey
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Jessica Clarke joined Leeds at age 14. She moved up through their youth teams. At 16, she played in the 2006 FA Women's Cup final. Leeds lost 5–0 to Arsenal. In 2006–07, Leeds reached another final. This was the FA Women's Premier League Cup. Leeds played much better but lost to Arsenal again.
In 2008, Leeds played in their third big final. Clarke scored a goal in the FA Women's Cup final. But Leeds lost 4–1 to Arsenal. Finally, on 11 February 2010, Leeds won a major trophy. Clarke helped them win the Premier League Cup final 3–1 against Everton. This was Leeds' first big win.
In August 2010, she joined FA WSL club Lincoln Ladies. Several of her Leeds teammates also joined. People saw her as a great new player for Lincoln. She was known for being a "pacy winger."
Later, Lincoln Ladies FC became Notts County Ladies in 2014. Clarke stayed with the team. She was a very important player for them. She scored many goals that season. She also played a new role as a striker. Because of her great play, she was nominated for FA Women's Players' Player of the Season.
On 25 May 2021, she left Liverpool. She had played 68 games for them.
Playing for England: International Career
Clarke played for England at different youth levels. She played for the Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 teams. In the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile, her wing-play was key. England reached the quarter-finals. FIFA.com called her "the wizard of the dribble."
She played her first senior game for England in March 2009. This was against South Africa in the Cyprus Cup. She came on as a substitute. In her second game, she scored a goal. England won 3–0 against Scotland.
In August 2009, she was chosen for Euro 2009. Clarke started her first competitive game in the semi-final. England beat the Netherlands. The manager, Hope Powell, used Clarke's speed to tire out the Dutch defenders.
Clarke kept playing for England in the 2011 World Cup qualifiers. She scored two goals in an 8–0 win against Malta. Before the World Cup, she scored in a friendly game. England beat the United States 2–1. In June 2012, Clarke was named as a reserve player. This was for the Great Britain squad at the 2012 London Olympics. She missed the main squad due to injury and not being in her best form.
Clarke was part of the squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013. But new coach Mark Sampson did not pick her for six months. She was called back in May 2014. Clarke was sad not to be picked for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. England finished third in that tournament. But she promised to work hard and come back stronger.
The FA gave Clarke the legacy number 168. This was to celebrate 50 years of England's first international game.
International Goals for England
Here are the goals Jessica Clarke scored for England:
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 March 2009 | Larnaca |  Scotland |
3–0 | Cyprus Cup | 1 |
| 3 | 25 October 2009 | Bloomfield Road, Blackpool |  Malta |
8–0 | 2011 FIFA World Cup Qual. | 2 |
| 4 | 20 May 2010 | Centenary Stadium, Ta' Qali | Malta |
6–0 | 2011 FIFA World Cup Qual. | 1 |
| 5 | 29 July 2010 | Bescot Stadium, Walsall |  Turkey |
3–0 | 2011 FIFA World Cup Qual. | 1 |
| 6 | 2 April 2011 | Brisbane Road, London |  United States |
2–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 7 | 1 July 2011 | Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, Dresden |  New Zealand |
2–1 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup | 1 |
| 8 | 23 November 2011 | Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster |  Serbia |
2–0 | 2013 UEFA Championship Qual. | 1 |
| 9 | 31 March 2012 | Sajmište, Vrbovec |  Croatia |
6–0 | 2013 UEFA Championship Qual. | 1 |
| 10 | 6 March 2013 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus |  Italy |
4–2 | 2013 Cyprus Cup | 1 |
| 11 | 4 March 2015 | GSZ Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus |  Finland |
3–1 | 2015 Cyprus Cup | 1 |
Jessica Clarke's Personal Life
In September 2009, Jessica Clarke became a student. She studied at Leeds Metropolitan University. Her teammates Carly Telford and Sue Smith also went there. Before that, she attended a special football training center. It was at Loughborough University.
Jessica went to Grimes Dyke Primary School. Then she went to John Smeaton High School in Leeds. Her mother, Carol Stapleton, raised her.
