So here is a story about Leon Clarke, English football's greatest journeyman.
It all started for Leon at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Having progressed through the youth academy, youngster Clarke made his senior debut for his hometown club in a League Cup win over Darlington in 2003. Happy days!
Clarke then moved on loan to Kidderminster Harriers in the Spring of 2004. He made just four appearances for the Carpetmen before making a name for himself in the Wolves first team in the 2004/05 campaign, scoring eight goals in 31 appearances.
But it didn't quite work out for Clarke at Wolves. Further loan spells at Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth Argyle were somewhat a failure, scoring 0 goals for both clubs, but Clarke made a shock return to Wolves in the 2006/07 season.
Unfortunately for Clarke, he was transfer listed by manager Mick McCarthy but quickly found suitors at Sheffield Wednesday and signed for the club in a deal thought to be in the region of £300,000 in January, 2007.
He made just five substitute appearances for the Owls before it was announced that he would spend a month on loan atOldham Athletic. Clarke made a promising start for the club, scoring three times in five games, but he obviously didn't do enough to find a transfer and returned to Sheffield Wednesday.
Months later, his next club was Southend United. He scored on his debut and scored eight goals in total for the Shrimpers , making 16 appearances. This was Clarke's most prolific spell at a football club but he was back at Sheffield Wednesday before you could say Jiminy Cricket.
The 2008/09 season was a successful one for Leon, scoring another eight in 20 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday but a year later he celebrated a goal against Crystal Palace by kicking the advertising boarding and as a result, he dislocated his knee.
Three days later, he would not be offered a new contract.
Leon signed for Queens Park Rangers, a team he had previous experience with, but failed to make an impact and failed to record a single goal. He was then loaned out to Preston North End, his sixth loan spell in as many years.
You guessed it. He failed to make any sort of impression at PNE and moved to Swindon Town in 20111, shortly after his contract was terminated at Queens Park Rangers. Manager at the time Paulo Di Canio obviously believed in Clarke's ability but after he was involved in an infamous altercation with Claudio Donatelli, the Swindon fitness coach.
He never played for Swindon again.
League one outfit Chesterfield Town were the next team to take a punt back in 2011 and it worked out for Clarke, bagging nine goals in 18 appearances during a three month loan spell.
After his loan spell at Chesterfield ended, Charlton Athletic gave Clarke the opportunity to play and shock, horror, he was loaned out to Scunthorpe United and Crawley Town in 2012. He made just seven appearances for Charlton.
Coventry City was Clarke's next destination and this was his most impressive spell to date. 23 goals in 34 appearances during from 2013 to 2014. 18 goals in half a season meant there was huge interest in the player.
£750,000 later, hometown club Wolverhampton Wanderers swooped for their former youth academy prospect in 2014, stating that he had matured into "a completely different person" but Leon Clarke only netted three goals on his return. Goodbye,
Bury were the 14th club to take Clarke on board in 2015. 15 goals in 32 League One appearances left Sheffield Unitedno other option but to snap him up on a three-year deal. Blades manager Chris Wilder said: "He is widely recognised as one of the top centre-forwards in the division and he will complement what we have."
The Blades have signed striker Leon Clarke for an undisclosed fee. Details at https://t.co/SM8fjYtnNW #twitterblades pic.twitter.com/Chy2musvrr— Sheffield United (@SUFC_tweets) July 27, 2016
What a story.
Leon is a Legend.
Source: theSportsBible
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