Former Sheffield Wednesday forward, Leon Clarke, has retired at 39.

Starting his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Clarke spent two and a half years with Sheffield Wednesday after joining under Brian Laws in early 2007 and departing in 2010 following the club’s relegation to League One. He made 87 appearances for Wednesday, scoring 18 goals.

In his final moments with the club, he scored against Crystal Palace in a relegation decider but had to leave the game with a broken toe after injuring himself by kicking an advertising board in celebration. Shortly after, he moved to Neil Warnock’s Queens Park Rangers.

Notably, Clarke scored memorable goals at Hillsborough for Sheffield Wednesday’s rivals, Sheffield United, netting twice in a 4-2 victory for the Blades in 2017. Over the years, he went on to play for seven more clubs.

Clarke has now decided to retire and focus on coaching. In an Instagram post, he stated, “20 years in the game, 23 clubs. This is my official retirement; it’s time to put the gloves away. Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout my career. The future for me is still in the game but this time as a coach.”

Clarke concludes his career having played in all four tiers of the English football pyramid, including a few Premier League matches with Bramall Lane.

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