Clarke Carlisle

Clarke James Carlisle (born October 14 1979 in Preston, Lancashire) is an England football (soccer), currently playing for Burnley F.C. in the English Football League Championship as a defender (football).

Carlisle has had an injury plagued career, with a series of Posterior cruciate ligament injuries which at one stage led doctors believe that the player's career was over. He fought back from these injuries, as well as an alcohol problem, and eventually went on to play a season in the Premier league with Watford F.C. and has also been capped at England national under-21 football team for England.

Career

Youth and Blackpool

Carlisle began his career as a youth team at Blackpool F.C. and was eventually offered a professional contract with the club, which he accepted. Carlisle's strong defensive performances during his three years at Blackpool attracted the attentions of Queens Park Rangers F.C. who paid £250,000 for him in the summer of 2000.

Promotion and problems with Q.P.R

Whilst at Loftus Road, Carlisle made a number of appearances for the England U21s alongside Ledley King and Frank Lampard. It was while the player was with QPR that he suffered his first major injury blow, tearing his Posterior cruciate ligament in 2001 which kept him sidelined for a year. Upon his return to football in a reserve match against Bristol City the player was again injured sparking fears that he had re-tore his knee ligament, however the damage was not that severe though he did miss a month of the season.

Carlisle spent four years with QPR, helping them gain promotion to the Football League Championship and also won the title of Britain's Brainiest Footballer in a TV quiz in January 2002. Not all things went well for him while at QPR, he missed a part of the 2003-04 in English football after being admitted to Sporting Chance clinic, a Drug rehabilitation run by former England England national football team Tony Adams (footballer) for treatment for alcohol-related problems.


"With the knowledge I have now, I realise it had been affecting my performance for a long time, I had been playing at nowhere near 100%. And there was the actual thoughts I was having at the time. At one stage I found I wasn't actually that bothered. Then I suddenly had a moment of clarity and thought: 'Clarke, what the hell are you doing? It was when clarity set in that I felt my lowest. To be honest, I was scared." - Clarke Carlisle


Carlisle's contract ended in 2004, after making a total 212 appearances and netting 6 goals with QPR, and as the contract was not renewed the player was able to leave the club on a free transfer (under the Bosman ruling) to Championship side Leeds United A.F.C..

Move to Leeds

Carlisle only spent one year at Elland Road, playing 38 matches and scoring 4 times for them. Whilst at Leeds he experienced another major injury set back, this time tearing his ankle ligaments which kept him out for 6 weeks.


"It's another blow in a long line of blows... and I'm really disappointed to lose him." — Kevin Blackwell


At the end of the season two clubs, Watford and Stoke City F.C. were both fighting to sign Carlisle from Leeds. Leeds accepted £100,000 from both clubs but eventually Watford got the player signature and signed him on a three year deal. The deal included a clause in his contract meant that he would not be played against Leeds.

Rise to the Premiership

In his first season at Vicarage Road he was tipped by manager Aidy Boothroyd to become one of the best central defenders in the championship.


"People think Clarke is limited, but he isn't. He just hasn't got going yet, He has such enormous strengths to his game. I want to make him into an attacking threat as well as a defender. Over time Clarke will achieve that, and become even better than he is now." — Adrian Boothroyd


Carlisle played in rotation with fellow defenders Malky Mackay and Jay Demerit as part of the defence which saw the Hornets finish in third place and gain promotion to the Premiership. Unfortunately for Carlisle he yet again suffered a serious injury, this time to his thigh. The injury meant he missed the play-offs and the first 8 months of the 2006-07 in English football Premier League season, by the time he did make his Premiership debut the club had already been relegated.


"It is my inaugural season in the Premiership and missing so much of it has been very hard to deal with." – Clarke Carlisle


On 2 March2007, Carlisle joined local-rivals Luton Town F.C. on a month's loan so that he could regain match fitness after recovering from his thigh injury. He made his debut for Luton a day later, on March 3 in the 3-2 away defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and returned from his loan spell having played 5 games for Luton.

In the summer of 2007 he was signed by fellow championship club Burnley to replace defender Wayne Thomas who moved to Southampton F.C. for £1.2 million a few days prior. Burnley paid £250,000 for the defender who signed a 3 year contract at Turf Moor on August 16.

Move north to Burnley

Carlisle settled in well at Burnley and was helped along by the clubs captain Steven Caldwell, he made his debut for the Clarets in the 2-0 defeat away to Scunthorpe United. It was reported that manager (football) Steve Cotterill was delighted with the signing and said it was a good bit of business in replacing Wayne Thomas with the player;


"We have got a good, experienced player at this level and it's a decent bit of business I suppose to sell a player for £1.2m and bring in a player who could be very similar to Wayne. Now we move on. Clarke will train with his new team mates on Friday and hopefully there will not be too much disruption. Clarke is a big, strong lad who is athletic and a good leader. He is also a charming, sensible young man who is 27 years of age, which keeps the age of the squad down." – Steve Cotterill


On September 28, 2007, the day before the Football Championship match against Crystal Palace F.C., Carlisle was involved in a serious car crash after spinning and crashing into a ditch causing his car to be write off. Burnley manager Steve Cotterill praised Carlisle's character for playing the next day in the 1-1 draw with Palace.

He is currently on the Management Committee of the Professional Footballers' Association.