Jessica Clarke (footballer) facts for kids
_(cropped).jpg)
Clarke playing for Liverpool in 2019
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jessica Anne Clarke | ||
| Date of birth | 5 May 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, forward | ||
| 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) |
| 2022–2023 | Durham | 30 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 2008 | England U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2009–2015 | England | 51 | (11) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jessica Anne Clarke (born May 5, 1989) is an English former professional footballer. She played as a winger or forward. Jessica started her career with her hometown team, Leeds United. This team was known as Leeds Carnegie between 2008 and 2010.
In 2010, Clarke joined Lincoln Ladies. She stayed with the club when it changed its name to Notts County four years later. After playing for six seasons at Notts County, Clarke signed with Liverpool in April 2017. She made her first appearance for the senior England team in 2009. Clarke played in over 50 international matches. She also represented England in two UEFA Women's Championship tournaments. She played in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup as well. Jessica Clarke retired from professional football after playing for Durham.
Contents
Jessica Clarke's Club Career
Starting at Leeds
.jpg)
Jessica Clarke joined Leeds at the Under-14 level. She moved up through the youth teams to join the senior squad. When she was 16, Clarke played in the 2006 FA Women's Cup final. Leeds lost this match 5–0 to Arsenal.
In the 2006–07 season, Leeds reached another final. This was the FA Women's Premier League Cup. Leeds played much better this time. Clarke came on as a substitute. However, Leeds still lost to Arsenal.
First Major Win
Leeds reached their third major final in three years in 2008. This was the FA Women's Cup final. Clarke scored a goal for Leeds, but they lost 4–1 to Arsenal. Finally, on February 11, 2010, Clarke started in the Premier League Cup final. Leeds won 3–1 against Everton. This was Leeds' first big trophy.
Moving to Lincoln and Notts County
In August 2010, Clarke signed with FA WSL club Lincoln Ladies. Several of her Leeds teammates also joined this club. Lincoln was very happy to get the "fast winger." This was seen as a big signing for their team.
After the WSL season, Clarke joined FA Women's Premier League Northern Division team Leeds City Vixens on a loan. In 2014, Lincoln Ladies FC became a new club called Notts County Ladies. They moved across the border. Clarke stayed with the team for this move. She was a very important player for them. She scored many goals and played a key role as a striker. Because of her great performance, Clarke was nominated for the FA Women's Players' Player of the Season award.
Later Career and Retirement
On May 25, 2021, Jessica Clarke left Liverpool. She had played 68 matches for them. She then played for Sheffield United and Durham. Jessica Clarke retired from professional football after her time with Durham.
Jessica Clarke's International Career
Playing for England's Youth Teams
Clarke played for England at different youth levels. These included the Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 teams. In the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile, Clarke's amazing wing-play was very important. England reached the quarter-final stage in that tournament. A FIFA.com article called Clarke "the wizard of the dribble."
Senior England Debut
She made her first appearance for the senior England team in March 2009. This was against South Africa in the Cyprus Cup. Clarke came on as a substitute for Karen Carney. In only her second game, Clarke scored a goal. This was the third goal in a 3–0 win against Scotland.
In August 2009, she was chosen for coach Hope Powell's squad for Euro 2009. Clarke started her first competitive match in the semi-final win. This was against the Netherlands. The manager, Hope Powell, used Clarke's speed and energy. This helped to tire out the Dutch defenders. Then, substitute Karen Carney came on and made a big impact.
World Cup and Olympic Teams
Clarke continued to be selected for England's 2011 FIFA World Cup qualification games. She scored two goals in an 8–0 win against Malta. In a friendly match before the World Cup, Clarke scored the first goal. England won 2–1 against the United States. In June 2012, Clarke was named as one of four reserve players for the Great Britain squad. This was for the 2012 London Olympics. She was not in the main squad because of injuries and a dip in her form.
Later International Years
Clarke was part of the squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013. However, the new head coach, Mark Sampson, did not pick her for six months. She was called back to the team in May 2014. Clarke was sad not to be chosen for England's squad for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. England finished third in that tournament. But she promised to work hard and come back stronger. She said that athletes must handle setbacks and learn from them.
The FA announced a special legacy numbers scheme. This was to celebrate 50 years since England's first international match. Jessica Clarke was given the number 168.
Jessica Clarke's Personal Life
In September 2009, Jessica Clarke started studying at Leeds Metropolitan University. She studied there while also playing for Leeds Carnegie Ladies. Her teammates Carly Telford and Sue Smith also enrolled there. Before this, she attended the FA Player Development Centre. This was at Loughborough University. Clarke went to Grimes Dyke Primary School. Then she went to John Smeaton High School in Leeds. Her single mother, Carol Stapleton, raised her.
Career Statistics
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first.
| # | 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 |
