Former Sunderland star Jack Clarke sealed his long-awaited and deserved Premier League move last summer, joining Ipswich Town.
The time was right for Jack Clarke to leave Sunderland and move up to the Premier League.
Ipswich Town will pay up to £20million for Clarke after having an initial £15million bid accepted during the summer, though it was later revealed that Sunderland received an initial £13.5million for Clarke.
Nevertheless, he’s no longer at the Stadium of Light, instead having a second crack at the Premier League after his previously failed attempt with Tottenham Hotspur.
What have Ipswich Town fans been saying about Jack Clarke this season?
The 23-year-old is still waiting to score his first goal for Ipswich Town, having now featured nine times in the Premier League, boasting just one assist.
He impressed at first, though. Town fans were excited by his potential, posting on social media: “Jack Clarke is going to be incredibly fun to watch this season,” and “Jack Clarke makes us a better team. Looks after the ball so well.”
One fan also described Clarke as “a fantastic carrier of the ball”. But the opinion among Ipswich fans regarding Clarke seems to have changed.
He’s had starts in the top flight but has been a substitute in the last three outings for Kieran McKenna’s side.
One fan posted in October: “Unfortunately it looks like it’s not working out for him [Clarke], but it is early days, and he’ll have learnt a lot from his time at Spurs to dig in and keep trying.”
And rating their side’s summer signings, one Ipswich fan even posted: “Jack Clarke perhaps the one who may still have a little work to do? Although he was excellent back against Villa.”
After the win over Spurs last time out, one Ipswich fan said of Clarke: “Has Clarke lost all ability or what? Bloke don’t track, pass or move.”
Jack Clarke won’t have any Ipswich Town regrets, says pundit
Clarke’s tough start to life at Ipswich Town, coming after such a whirlwind season with Sunderland, has left many wondering whether the player really made the right choice.
But speaking earlier in the season, BBC pundit Kieron Brady said that Clarke will have no regrets over joining Ipswich.
He said: “A lot of players will spend a considerable part of their footballing career, looking for what you might regard as ‘that contract’.
“I’ve got no doubt that Ipswich given they’re now in the Premier League, were able to offer him a contract that Sunderland were either unable to, or unwilling to.”
Clarke’s Ipswich Town return to action at home to Manchester United later in November.