Clarke in 2010
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Colin John Clarke | ||
Date of birth | 30 October 1962 | ||
Place of birth | Newry, Northern Ireland | ||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
Playing position | Forward | ||
Club information | |||
Current team
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North Carolina | ||
Youth career | |||
–1980 | Ipswich Town | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1980–1981 | Ipswich Town | 0 | (0) |
1981–1984 | Peterborough United | 82 | (18) |
1984 | → Gillingham (loan) | 8 | (1) |
1984–1985 | Tranmere Rovers | 45 | (22) |
1985–1986 | Bournemouth | 46 | (26) |
1986–1989 | Southampton | 82 | (36) |
1988 | → Bournemouth (loan) | 4 | (2) |
1989–1990 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | (11) |
1990–1993 | Portsmouth | 85 | (18) |
Total | 398 | (134) | |
National team | |||
1986–1993 | Northern Ireland | 38 | (13) |
Teams managed | |||
1998–1999 | Richmond Kickers | ||
2000 | San Diego Flash | ||
2003–2006 | FC Dallas | ||
2007 | Virginia Beach Mariners | ||
2007–2011 | Puerto Rico Islanders | ||
2008–2011 | Puerto Rico | ||
2011– | North Carolina | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Colin John Clarke (born 30 October 1962) is a Northern Irish retired footballer who played as a forward, and is the head coach of North Carolina.
He played for seven English clubs between 1981 and 1993 before retiring through a knee injury, and scored 13 goals in 38 matches for the Northern Ireland national football team from 1986 to 1993. A member of their squad at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, he was joint with Billy Gillespie as Northern Ireland's top scorer of all before their record was surpassed by David Healy.
After retiring as a player, Clarke went into management in the United States, coaching teams including Major League Soccer franchise FC Dallas and the Puerto Rico national football team.
Born in Newry, Clarke began his professional career in the Football League Fourth Division at Peterborough United in the 1981–82 season, scoring 18 goals in 84 games over the next three seasons (having a loan spell at Gillingham during his final season at London Road) before he signed for their Fourth Division rivals Tranmere Rovers.
Along with fellow striker John Clayton, he formed one of the deadliest strike-forces in the Football League by scoring 22 goals that season, but the 1984–85 campaign ended in disappointment as Tranmere just missed out on promotion. He was then transferred to Third Division Bournemouth and scored 26 goals, though again his goals were not enough to win his club promotion.