Jonson Clarke-Harris: Anything you can do, I can do better

Jonson Clarke-Harris has surfaced as one of the most lethal strikers in the EFL as he aims to direct Peterborough United back to the Championship, but will he prove greater than Ivan Toney?

Peterborough’s success this season owes much to clinical striker Clarke-Harris who is the leagues joint top goalscorer (21 league goals), having replaced the departing Toney in the summer.

The London Road side sit second in League One – just three points behind leaders Hull, who proved superior in a top of the table clash with Posh on Tuesday evening as the Tigers ran out 3-1 winners.

The striker joined Darren Ferguson’s side from fellow League One club, Bristol Rovers in time for the start of the 2020/21 campaign. The 26-year-old began his early career with the Cambridgeshire side, much of which encountered loans to the likes of Southend United and Bury FC.

Since re-signing for the club he played for as a youngster, Clarke-Harris has had some big boots to fill. Not only has he had to contend with last season’s League One top goalscorer Toney, who left for a record-breaking fee to Brentford in the summer but with the long list of great strikers that have donned the Peterborough shirt.

Peterborough manager, Darren Ferguson told BBC Sport in August: “Jonson was our number one target.

“His goal-scoring record in the past two seasons with Bristol Rovers has been very, very good.”

Likewise, the ‘big man’ has continued where he left off and is having the season of his life, showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

Netting 23 times in all competitions so far, the former Pirates striker is on target to send Posh back into the Championship.

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Speaking about his contribution to his sides success so far, he told Sportsmail (DailyMail): “I’m delighted, but I’m only as good as the players around me, if I’m not performing well the someone else is – it’s more like a team thing we have going on this year.

“The position we are in now is the position we wanted to be in at the start of the season.

“I feel like everything is falling into place and it’s happening for a reason. We are buzzing to be where we are, hopefully we can get the job done.

Clarke-Harris is probably at one of the most recognised clubs for supporting the development of some of English footballs top forwards. In recent years, the likes of Ivan Toney (Brentford), Britt Assombalonga (Middlesborough), Dwight Gayle (Newcastle United) and Jack Marriot (Derby County) have all secured moves further up the league pyramid.

If his predecessors’ statistics are anything to go by, then he is certainly heading in the right direction to achieve his dream.

He added: “I want to continue scoring goals at the highest level – that was always my dream as a boy. I want to play as high as I can and make my family proud.”

Meanwhile, the ordeals of his formative years in football are never far from his mind.

Coming through the ranks at Coventry City, he made his senior debut as a 16-year-old in a league cup-tie against Morecambe in August 2010. Making him the Sky Blues youngest ever player to feature for the club.

Except for what seemed a dream, soon turned into calamity as the youngster didn’t feature again for the club during his initial spell at the Ricoh Arena. In fact, he didn’t make another senior appearance until October 2012 during a loan spell at Southend.

Though, it seems experiencing professional senior football at the tender age of 16, shaped Clarke-Harris’ career in the EFL.

“I remember thinking to myself ‘yes’ (when I made my professional debut), but it’s all about what you do afterwards, and what I did afterwards was I took my foot off the gas.” He told Sportsmail (DailyMail).

He added: “I went back to the u18’s and played youth football. It was such a massive thing for me (to make my debut) but then a massive kick in the teeth a couple of weeks later.”

Clarke-Harris reels away in celebration after netting against Crewe Alexandra – Credit: Peterborough United

However, Clarke-Harris took this setback under his wing and continues to develop his ability to achieve his dream.

Likewise, the inundated supply of players to rise from lower league football and make their name on the big stage still provides him with optimism for a career higher up the pyramid.

He said: “It says to me why not? It’s a motive for me. I remember playing against Harry Maguire during his time at Sheffield United and I was at Oldham and I remember then thinking ‘what a player you are’.

Bristol Live have reported in the last week that Premier League side West Brom and Championship promotion-chasers Bournemouth have both been scouting Clarke-Harris and are known to have an interest in buying the 26-year-old this summer.

Furthermore, the Leicester-born striker has helped his cause after being named ‘EFL League One Player of the Month’ for February.

Posh boss, Darren Ferguson told Sky Sports: “Jonson thoroughly deserves the award. To score as many goals as he did in the month and it wasn’t just his goals, it was his all-round play that helped us have such a good month. He has had a really good season on the whole, he just needs to finish it off now and he wants to do that.”

So, who knows, will Clarke-Harris be the next player to depart London Road in search for success at the top of English football?