According to a recent report by the Shields Gazette, Irish defender Ciaran Clark’s Newcastle United career may have been saved by Steve Bruce in the summer. In an earlier report, the defender had claimed that he was extremely close to a move away from St. James’ Park but went on to reveal that it was Steve Bruce who indeed blocked the move. The centre-half spent most of the last couple of seasons on the periphery of the squad, looking in from outside. He played just 31 times in the league throughout two seasons.
This season, although things didn’t start very well for the Irishman, his patience finally begun to pay off. Although the defensive trio of Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett and Fabian Schar was preferred at the start of the campaign, the Irishman was brought in following the Magpies’ 5-0 thrashing by Leicester City. He is yet to look back since.
How Did Ciaran Clark Make A Name For Himself In The Premier League?
Born in 1989, the defender went on to join the Aston Villa academy as an 11-year-old and had to work his way up the ranks to make it to the level he’s currently at. Having been raised in the London suburb of Harrow, the Irishman was touted for big things from a very young age by the staff at the Villa academy. He broke into the U-23 setup back in 2007, before eventually getting promoted into the first team in 2010.
It was at Aston Villa that Premier League fans recognised him as a quality centre-half, and his performances at Villa Park certainly warranted all the praise as well. Despite not necessarily being a regular in the side, the Irishman appeared in every league campaign for the Villans until 2017, which is when he made the switch to Tyneside.
What Does Ciaran Clark Bring To The Table?
The Irishman is a tall and strong defender, who is probably one of the few remaining traditional, no-nonsense centre-halves. Quite a lot like Gary Cahill or Jonny Evans in his playing style, he boasts a rather orthodox skill-set and is concerned mainly about the team not conceding a goal, rather than his individual performance. The 30-year-old has played in a total of 78 fixtures for the Magpies, and he’s picked up an excellent return of ten goals.
The former Villa academy product tends to maintain his focus extremely well, and this allows him to dominate in the air while defending set-pieces. He tends to position himself very well in the box and is adept at making interceptions in the middle of the park. Not afraid to charge an attacker in an attempt to block a shot, the Irishman ensures that he’s always giving his 100% for the team, every time he dons the famous black and white kit.
Does Ciaran Clark Have A Future At Newcastle United?
The 30-year-old has started all five of the Magpies’ most recent Premier League fixtures, and he’s managed to score in the last two. His displays in the middle of the park, alongside Newcastle skipper Jamaal Lascelles, have been nothing short of sensational. Steve Bruce is the only person who can be commended in a situation like this as if it wasn’t for his timely intervention, one of their best defenders might’ve been a rival player at this point in time.
