5
James Clarke
Defender
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Biography
Date of birth
17/11/1989
Height
183 cm
Signed
01/07/2019
Country
England
Recruited in May 2019, the defender helped Bristol Rovers win promotion from League Two under Darrell Clarke in 2015/16 and also worked with his namesake at Salisbury City.
Predominantly a centre-half, Aylesbury-born James Clarke started out with Watford before turning professional at Oxford United, making 36 appearances for the U’s.
He spent three years with neighbours Oxford City, winning promotion from the Southern League in 2011, and first linked up with Darrell Clarke at Salisbury in 2012.
Part of the Whites’ Conference South promotion-winning team, the versatile defender played 37 games for Woking before reuniting with his former boss at Bristol Rovers in 2015.
He featured 40 times as the Gas gained promotion in his first EFL season and made 43 outings in 2018/19, helping Rovers keep the fifth best defensive record in League One.
Clarke took the captain's armband in his first season at the Banks's Stadium and featured 32 times in his first season.
He scored three times, including a sumptuous strike against Crawley Town that won the September goal of the month award.
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