Harry Clifton (footballer, born 1998)

Harry Clifton

Personal information
Full name	Harry Louis Clifton [1]
Date of birth	(1998-06-12) 12 June 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth	Grimsby, England
Position(s)	Midfielder, Winger
Team information
Current team	Doncaster Rovers
Number	15
Youth career
2007–2015	Grimsby Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2024	Grimsby Town	238	(21)
2016–2017	→ Grantham Town (loan)	38	(5)
2024–	Doncaster Rovers	3	(1)
International career
2019–2020	Wales U21	6	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:15, 27 August 2024 (UTC)

Harry Louis Clifton (born 12 June 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder and winger for EFL League Two club Doncaster Rovers. He is a former Wales under-21 international.

Club career

Grimsby Town

Clifton joined Grimsby Town as an under-10 and progressed through the club's youth system. ^[2]

Clifton signed his first professional contract in July 2015. ^[3] He joined NPL Premier Division side Grantham Town in September 2016, initially on a month's loan deal. ^{[4] [5]} After impressing in his initial loan, it was then extended another two months. ^[6] After scoring 3 goals in 21 appearances, his loan was extended in December 2016 until the end of the 2016–17 season. ^[7] Clifton made 47 appearances for them, scoring six goals. ^[8] He returned to Grimsby in May 2017, signing another two-year deal. ^{[9] [10]}

Clifton made his full debut on 29 August 2017 in the EFL Trophy against Doncaster Rovers. ^[11] He made his professional League Two debut on 30 January 2018, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute, in a 3–0 defeat at Yeovil Town. ^[12] Clifton made his full league debut against Exeter City on 24 February. ^[13]

He signed a new three-year contract with Grimsby in June 2018. ^[14]

Clifton scored his first professional league goal on 27 November 2018, scoring an equaliser in the 33rd minute with a header, in a 5–2 win against Tranmere Rovers. ^[15] Three days later, he scored Grimsby's second goal on 70-minutes in the FA Cup second round, racing through on goal scoring a follow-up after his initial shot was saved, in a 2–0 victory against National League side Chesterfield. ^[16]

Clifton played the full 120 minutes of the 2022 National League play-off final as Grimsby beat Solihull Moors 2–1 at the London Stadium to return to the Football League. ^[17]

On 24 June 2022, Clifton signed a new two-year deal with The Mariners. ^[18]

Clifton was part of the Grimsby team that reached the FA Cup quarter final for the first time since 1939, he played the full 90 minutes of the 2–1 win away at Premier League side Southampton that secured that achievement. ^{[19] [20]}

On 5 May 2023, Clifton won the Supporters' Player of the Year award, and four other awards, at the club's annual Player of the Season awards night.

Following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, Clifton was offered a new contract. ^[21] On 2 June 2024, the club announced that Clifton would be departing the club upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the month. ^[22]

Doncaster Rovers

On 2 June 2024, Clifton was announced to have agreed a two-year deal with Doncaster Rovers with the club holding the option for a further twelve months. ^[23]

International career

Clifton was called up to the Wales Under-21's squad to join their training camp at the end of March 2019.

Career statistics

As of match played on 24 August 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Grimsby Town	2015–16 [24]	National League	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	0	0
	2016–17 [25]	League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2017–18 [26]	League Two	10	0	0	0	0	0	3 [lower-alpha 1]	0	13	0
	2018–19 [27]	League Two	39	2	3	1	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	43	3
	2019–20 [28]	League Two	25	0	2	0	1	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	29	0
	2020–21 [29]	League Two	35	2	1	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	37	2
	2021–22	National League	43	7	1	0	—		0	0	44	7
	2022–23 [30]	League Two	44	7	7	2	2	0	4 [lower-alpha 1]	0	57	9
	2023–24 [31]	League Two	42	3	2	0	1	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	1	46	4
	Total		238	21	16	3	4	0	11	1	267	25
Grantham Town (loan)	2016–17 [32]	NPL Premier Division	38	5	0	0	—		9 [lower-alpha 2]	1	47	6
Doncaster Rovers	2024–25 [33]	League Two	3	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	1
Career total			271	27	16	3	5	0	20	2	312	32

1. Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
2. Three appearances and one goal in FA Trophy, six appearances in Northern Premier League Challenge Cup

Honours

Grimsby Town

• National League play-offs: 2022 ^[17]

Individual

• Grimsby Town Player of the Year: 2022–23 ^[34]
• Grimsby Town Young Player of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19

References

1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Grimsby Town" (PDF). English Football League. p. 31. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
2. Wood, Liam (27 July 2018). "Grimsby Town graduates Harry Clifton and Max Wright on their Blundell Park journey". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
3. "Grimsby Town: Harry Clifton signs two-year deal". BBC Sport. 13 July 2015.
4. "Young Grimsby Town duo set to follow Harry Clifton out on loan". Grimsby Telegraph. 16 September 2016.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
5. "Harry Makes Loan Move". Grimsby Town F.C. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
6. Hayes, Simon (13 October 2016). "Wildin and Clifton extend their time with The Gingerbreads". Grantham Town F.C. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
7. Hayes, Simon (15 December 2016). "Harry Clifton Stays!". Grantham Town F.C. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
8. "Harry Clifton". Grantham Town F.C. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
9. "Young midfielder Harry Clifton's one-year contract extension confirmed by Grimsby Town". Grimsby Telegraph. 24 May 2017.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
10. "Harry Clifton: Young midfielder signs one-year contract extension with Grimsby". BBC Sport. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
11. Wood, Liam (30 August 2017). "Grimsby Town midfielder Harry Clifton 'buzzing' to make full debut against Doncaster Rovers". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
12. "Yeovil 3–0 Grimsby". BBC Sport. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
13. Wood, Liam (24 February 2018). "Grimsby Town 0-1 Exeter City PLAYER RATINGS - Clifton impresses on full League Two debut". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
14. "Harry Clifton: Grimsby Town midfielder signs new three-year deal". BBC Sport. 6 June 2018.
15. "Grimsby 5–2 Tranmere". BBC Sport. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
16. "Chesterfield 0–2 Grimsby". BBC Sport. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
17. "Grimsby Town player ratings as McAtee and four others star in Solihull comeback". Grimsbylive. 5 June 2022.
18. "Academy product Harry Clifton signs new two-year deal with Grimsby Town". Grimsbylive. 24 June 2022.
19. "Grimsby stun Southampton to reach FA Cup last eight". BBC Sport.
20. "Brighton end Grimsby's run to reach FA Cup semis". BBC Sport.
21. "Retained and Released List 2023/24". gtfc.co.uk. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
22. @officialgtfc (2 June 2024). "𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣! 🫡 We would like to wish Harry all the best in his next chapter following the expiry of his contract. 💭 We've made some special memories together! #GTFC" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 June 2024– via Twitter.
23. "Rovers secure deal for midfielder Harry Clifton". www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
24. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
25. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
26. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
27. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
28. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
29. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
30. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
31. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
32. "Harry Clifton - First Team - Grantham Town FC". Pitchero. Grantham Town F.C. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
33. "Games played by Harry Clifton in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
34. Sam Allen (7 May 2023). "Harry Clifton on recognition from Grimsby Town fans as he sweeps up end-of-season awards". MSN. Retrieved 10 May 2023.

External links

• Harry Clifton profile at the Grimsby Town F.C. website
• Harry Clifton at Soccerbase