Matt Clarke joins West Bromwich Albion on season-long loan from Brighton

 

West Bromwich Albion have completed the signing of Matt Clarke on a season-long loan from Brighton.

The 24-year-old arrives at The Hawthorns following two loan spells with Derby County, making 81 appearances in the process.

Clarke would win the club’s Player of the Year award in 2019/20 and has been cited as a major reason as to why the Rams survived relegation last season.

Despite coming through the ranks at local club Ipswich Town, it was with Portsmouth where the defender made his mark in the professional game.

After initially arriving at Fratton Park on loan, he completed a permanent move to the South Coast after making 29 appearances throughout the 2015/16 season.

Pompey would then go on to earn promotion to League One in the next campaign, with Clarke’s partnership in defence with Christian Burgess ensuring that the club would concede the fewest goals that season.

Clarke continued to thrive in the third-tier under Kenny Jackett and would help his side beat Sunderland at Wembley to lift the EFL Trophy in 2019. Portsmouth would register a play-off finish later that campaign but endured revenge from the Black Cats with a 1-0 semi-final defeat.

Following 175 appearances at Fratton Park, Clarke would move on with a host of clubs pursuing his signature.  It was Brighton who would secure his services after paying a £5 million fee.

He would then impress across two seasons at Pride Park and will be looking to help the Baggies secure an instant return to the Premier League.

The towering centre-half has one clear goal ahead of the upcoming season:

“The club knows what it takes to get out of this division and I want to try and help them do it again this year.

This is a club which is looking to bounce straight back to the Premier League and has had success at this level before.”

Clarke also explained just what it takes to succeed in the Championship:

“I think you need a bit of everything to get out of this league. You obviously need quality, but you also need to be a team and dig in.

It’s a tough league, but you have to relish the challenge and look forward to it.”

Albion now have a wealth of options in central defence, with Valérien Ismaël opting to implement a three-man defence throughout his managerial career.

Clarke will compete with Semi Ajayi, Dara O’Shea, Cédric Kipré and Kyle Bartley for a starting stop. The latter is reportedly receiving Premier League interest, but it is believed Bartley will remain at The Hawthorns this summer.

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