I made over 150 Aston Villa appearances - two clubs later I'm now playing with YouTubers
The story of the former Aston Villa player who has switched the top level for the Baller League since retiring
Ciaran Clark rose up through the academy ranks at Aston Villa as a youngster and was a regular for the Midlands outfit at various different youth levels before breaking into the first-team picture. The London-born man was handed his senior debut back in August 2009 as a substitute for Curtis Davies against Fulham. He went on to make 159 appearances in all competitions.
The centre-back, who made 36 caps for the Republic of Ireland national team, scored 10 goals along the way. He left in 2016 and went on to play for some other teams. Clark is now playing in the Baller League with other ex-professionals and social media figures.
Former Aston Villa man Ciaran Clark in Baller League
Former Aston Villa defender Clark will be playing in Baller League for a mystery team, formerly called Trebol FC. Their manager is yet to be announced, with the likes of Idris Elba, Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, John Terry and Jens Lehmann in charge of other teams. Clark is one of his side’s ‘franchise’ players.
After leaving Villa Park nine years ago, he dropped down a division to join Newcastle United in the Championship. At the time, he angered some Villa fans with his comments suggesting that the Toon Army were ‘moving in the right direction’ and said: “Newcastle is a massive club so I’m really happy to be here. Importantly, it is a club that is moving in the right direction and pushing for the right things, so I’m really excited to now be a part of that.”
Clark helped the North East club gain promotion from the second tier at the first time of asking under Rafa Benitez. He proved to be a useful player for them to call upon in defence. He played 129 appearances during his time at St. James’ Park in the end and found the net on 11 occasions.
Where has ex-Aston Villa man Ciaran Clark been over recent years?
Clark stayed with Newcastle six years but eventually saw his game time dry up. He was loaned out to Sheffield United during his final campaign. The Blades brought him in back in July 2022 to boost their defensive department and he injected experience into their side.
After playing 11 matches in South Yorkshire, he was released by the Magpies upon his return to his parent club. They decided against offering him extension and he subsequently became available as a free agent. He then weighed up his options before Stoke City gave him a call.
After moving to Staffordshire, he said at the time: “I’ve missed the feeling of being in the dressing room and preparing week-to-week for Saturdays. I worked hard throughout pre-season and have kept myself in good shape since, so I am keen to get out there with the lads over the next couple of weeks, as the feeling of those sessions is something you can’t replicate alone. With the quality of players we have, if we find some consistency, I believe we can go on and have a good season.”
Clark struggled to get into the Potters’ team though. He played three games under their ex-boss Alex Neil, all of which were lost, before the Scotsman was sacked. Steven Schumacher then came in as his replacement but he wasn’t part of his long-term plans and was frozen out before his departure from the Bet365 Stadium.
He has since taken a step away from professional football and first delved into Baller League last March. Clark has now opted to stick with it and will be looking forward to showing what he can do. Luis Figo was his manager last time around.