‘Delighted to have him here’ - Doncaster Rovers confirm permanent signing of goalkeeper Josh Clarke
“Josh has impressed everyone with his professionalism and his attitude towards learning. We will continue to go from strength to strength, and we are delighted to have him for the long-term.”
Doncaster Rovers have confirmed the permanent signing of goalkeeper Josh Clarke for an undisclosed fee from Patrick Thistle.
The Northern Under-21 internationalhad initially joined Rovers from the Scottish Championship outfit on a loan with a view to making the agreement permanent in January, but after being impressed with the start he’s made to life in South Yorkshire, Grant McCann and the recruitment team have decided to finalise the deal sooner.
McCann told the club website: “Josh is an excellent young goalkeeper who has all the attributes to have a fantastic career in the game.
“He is relishing the challenge of competing with Tommy Simkin for the number one shirt, and we are very fortunate to have four excellent young goalkeepers on our books, with a top coach in Kyle Letheren leading the department.
“Josh has impressed everyone with his professionalism and his attitude towards learning. We will continue to go from strength to strength, and we are delighted to have him for the long-term.”
To say Clarke's career so far has been varied would be an understatement. Born in London to an Irish father and Swedish mother, he's played in the academies of Chelsea and Bournemouth. He then got his first taste of senior football at Northern Ireland side Glenavon, before a big move to Scottish heavyweights Celtic.
During his time with the Hoops, he played 39 times for the B team, gaining experience in the lower levels of Scottish football before also spending time at Ayr United and Airdrieonians in the second-tier.
Clarke played 42 times for Patrick Thistle during a loan spell last season as the team finished in second position before falling short to Scottish Premiership outfit St Mirren in the play-off final - marking the closest The Jags have come to top-flight promotion since 2018.
After conceding 39 times and keeping 14 clean sheets during his loan stint at the Firhill Stadium, Clarke was involved in a slightly complex situation whereby he'd effectively committed to a pre-contract with Scottish club Partick Thistle when Rovers came calling. However, the two clubs eventually thrashed out a loan deal which has now been made permanent.
Clarke made his competitive debut for Rovers during a 3-1 defeat to Championship outfit Middlesbrough in the League Cup but has otherwise so far been the understudy to Simkin between the posts.
Speaking on the transfer, Clarke added: “My debut at Middlesbrough gave me a real taste of what this level demands. Being out there, feeling the pace and intensity, made me feel more driven to push on. It showed me exactly where I need to get to, and I’m ready to work for it every single day.”