Billy Clarke

Football player infobox
playername = Billy Clarke
fullname = William Charles Clarke
height = height|ft=5|in=7
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1987|12|13
cityofbirth = Cork
countryofbirth = Ireland
currentclub = Darlington (on loan from Ipswich Town)
clubnumber = 24
position = Striker
years = 2005–
2006
2008
2008
clubs = Ipswich Town
→ Colchester United (loan)
→ Falkirk (loan)
→ Darlington (loan)
caps(goals) = 49 (3)
06 (0)
08 (1)
010 (7)
nationalyears = 2007–
nationalteam = Ireland U21
nationalcaps(goals) = 11 (2)
pcupdate = 22:06, 11 October 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 12 August 2008 (UTC)

William Charles 'Billy' Clarke (born December 13, 1987 in Cork) is a professional Irish footballer currently playing for Darlington on loan from Ipswich Town.

Clarke is a striker, a product of the Ipswich Town Academy and signed professional for the club in May 2005. He made his professional début as a substitute for Ipswich against Cardiff City in late November 2005. He was sent on loan to Colchester United at the end of the 2006 season, for first team experience. During the January 2008 transfer window, he joined Falkirk FC on loan. Clarke scored his first goal, a late winner, for the Scottish outfit in a crucial match against Inverness CT.

Clarke scored his first league goal in the 2-1 victory over Southampton and followed it up 3 days later with the winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Coventry City, he also scored in an Ipswich derby game, against Essex side, Southend United (Ipswich won 3-1).

He already has an extensive Irish International record at youth level, being one of the most capped young players for Ireland. He has made 45 appearances for Republic of Ireland at Under 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21 and has scored 14 international goals so far, his latest in a U21 International Tournament in Malaysia in May 2008. Clarke won the Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star of the year award for Soccer in 2005 and was nominated for Irish Under 19 Player of the Year award in 2006.

He also made a big contribution to Ipswich's youth team in winning the FA Youth Cup in 2005, a trophy Ipswich Town had previously won over 30 years before.

Clarke is currently transfer-listed and on 8 August 2008 went to Darlington on one month's loan (now extended to January 2009 when his contract with Ipswich expires) where he scored four times against Macclesfield Town on 30 August 2008. He also scored a vital goal in the Carling Cup against Walsall, knocking the League One side out of the cup.

External links

* [http://www.itfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10272~33535,00.html Billy Clarke player profile] at itfc.co.uk
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