Peter Clarke on settling into life at the Yellows
Warrington Town defender Peter Clarke reflects on his decision to join the club and where he believes the squad’s ambitions lie as they find their footing in the National League North.
Clarke, 41, joined the club in the summer from League Two side Walsall, after making over 900 appearances as a professional footballer.
Towards the end of last season, he considered his career paths outside of football and applied for various jobs including a role at the PFA.
In an interview with BBC Radio Merseyside’s Paul Salt, the veteran centre-back discussed the reasons why he didn’t fully hang up his boots and instead answered a call from Mark Beesley.
“Before the end of last season, I thought that it was time to grow up so I looked at applied for various other jobs including one at the PFA which, ultimately, I was offered and accepted,” Clarke said.
“I got to the end of the season and I wasn’t really thinking about playing anymore, but then I had a conversation with the manager at Warrington Town who said “Come on, I think that you’ve still got stuff to offer,” so I ended up signing at the club and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.
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“They’ve got a really good set of lads, the staff are great, the manager is brilliant and a pleasure to work with and the chairman and his family are really good people too which makes the club feel like a really good environment and it’s enjoyable to be around.
“Off the back of winning promotion to the National League North, there’s a really good feeling in the town too, and the fans have been different class as well.
“In a sense, it was an easy decision to join Warrington Town. It’s a club that’s constantly growing and looking to improve which is brilliant, and all credit to the people who have been involved with the club, both past and present, and of course the players for getting them up to the next level. I felt as though it was a good time for me to arrive here.”
Even though he enjoyed a glistening career across the Football League which spanned over 20 years, Clarke understands that the National League is a challenging prospect, filled with talent across the board.
Nevertheless, he believes that the squad has everything necessary to cement their place in the league and eventually push on to higher ambitions.
“For the new players who came in, we had to integrate ourselves into the group, but once we started training and playing in pre-season, I noticed the quality within the players, I think that a significant number of them could have had careers in the Football League.
“We’re not too badly placed in the league at this moment in time. We’re relatively content with the start that we made but we’ve got intentions to be a lot better and there are things that we can improve on.
“When a club is newly promoted, it takes a bit of time for the whole team to adapt to their new circumstances in order to compete and to give a good account of yourself and I think that we’ve shown that.
“Some of the results have been good and if we just keep plugging away, there’s no reason we can’t pick up more positive results.”
Clarke has featured in all nine of the Yellows’ fixtures so far this season and has seen his responsibilities grow in the wake of Evan Gumbs’ absence.
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He has also found himself on the scoresheet, scoring the first goal against Spennymoor Town in a game in which his side would go on to secure a valuable point with a 3-3 draw with a last-gasp equaliser from Dylan Mottley-Henry.
Despite the recent defeats to the likes of Brackley Town and Banbury United, Clarke believes that the team’s performance during the clash with Spennymoor Town provides them with a platform to build upon for the rest of the season.
“Even though we were behind in the game against Spennymoor for the most part, we still believed that we could get something out of it at any point.
“To score the goal right at the end shows great spirit amongst the lads and it’s something that we hadn’t done previously this season so it’s another good sign and it’s something that we can build upon.
“There are lots of things to be positive about and the performance against Spennymoor was a great example of that and to get the last-minute equaliser, it makes it all worthwhile.
“To score my first goal for the club was very pleasing especially when I had one disallowed against Brackley Town. It’s always nice to get on the scoresheet and if they help towards positive results for the team then that’s even better.”
Peter Clarke is proudly sponsored by Warrington Town Juniors. His away sponsorship is still available.
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