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Young Aston Villa midfielder Jack Clarke has joined Yeovil Town on a season long loan.
Words: Regan Foy | @findfoy
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Yeovil Town have confirmed the loan signing of Aston Villa’s Under 23 captain Jack Clarke this evening as the midfielder makes his first foray into ‘first team’, professional football.
Clarke, now 21 and turning 22 in January, has spent a number of successful seasons at the forefront of the Villa academy, and the dynamic midfielder, who describes himself as a ‘box-to-box’ midfielder, will now spend the entirety of the upcoming season at Huish Park.
The midfielder has made waves in the youth set-up for the past few seasons, but has never been afforded the opportunities that perhaps his talent deserves.
A few seasons back, Clarke was picking up numbers that a senior midfielder of following an injury, as he scored twice and assisted five in under 1,500 minutes of football.
Jack Clarke has survived the culls over recent seasons that have seen former team-mates of his, such as Jordan Lyden, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Mitch Clark and more, but it is likely that unless the midfielder impresses during his loan spell, he may be afforded the same fate.
He was scouted by the same scout that found Jack Grealish and the pair joined at similar times – despite the difference in age.
Speaking to Yeovil Town’s media team upon signing on his season-long loan, Clarke said:
“I’m buzzing to be here and can’t wait to get started.
I’ve been at Aston Villa since I was eight and have been trying to get some first team minutes and experience in the senior dressing room – something I can achieve here.
I can’t wait to get started.”
The drop down to non-league level possibly signifies that Clarke may not be sticking around with Aston Villa in the future – with the likes of Callum O’Hare being released this summer after a decent showing with Coventry City.
