Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 19 February 1950 | ||
Place of birth | Willenhall, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 8+1⁄4 in (1.73 m) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Youth career | |||
– | Walsall | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1967–1968 | Walsall | 6 | (2) |
1968–1970 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 5 | (0) |
1970–1976 | Oxford United | 178 | (35) |
1976–1978 | Orient | 36 | (6) |
1978 | → Carlisle United (loan) | 1 | (0) |
Total | 226 | (43) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Derek Clarke (born 19 February 1950) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a forward for Walsall, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Oxford United, where he spent the majority of his career, Orient and Carlisle United. [2] He is the third of five footballing brothers, the others being Frank, Allan, Kelvin and Wayne, who all played League football. [3]
Clarke was born in Willenhall, [2] and began his professional career at nearby Walsall. He joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1968, [3] but made just five appearances in two full seasons for the First Division club before moving to Oxford United in October 1970. [4] He spent six years at Oxford, making 178 Second Division appearances, then left the Manor Ground when the club was relegated in 1976. He then joined Orient, where he spent two seasons, which included an appearance in the semi-final of the 1977–78 FA Cup and a loan spell at Carlisle United, before injury forced his retirement. [2] [5]
William Ambrose Wright was an English footballer who played as a centre-back. He spent his entire club career at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The first footballer in the world to earn 100 international caps, Wright also held the record for longest unbroken run in competitive international football, with 70 consecutive appearances, although that was surpassed by Andoni Zubizarreta's 86 consecutive appearances for Spain (1985–94). He also made a total of 105 appearances for England, captaining them a record 90 times, including during their campaigns at the 1950, 1954 and 1958 World Cup finals.
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