Shamrock Rovers F.C. confirms the permanent signing of Trevor Clarke on a long-term contract after a year on loan at the club.
shamrockrovers.ie caught up with both player and head coach Stephen Bradley on their reaction to the news:
Stephen Bradley:
Hot on the heels of Markus Poom re-signing for another year, everyone connected with Rovers will be delighted at the news Trevor Clarke is also re-signing for 2024, how pleased are you about this?
“I think we all know what Trevor brings to us, so we’re absolutely delighted to get him back on a permanent deal. He’s a big, big player for us, he’s shown that time and time again. I think we’re getting Trevor in his peak years which is really important. I have seen real maturity in Trevor since he came home, both on and off the pitch; in how he approaches the game, how he approaches training, it’s completely different to how he was when he was younger. We’re delighted to get it done and he’s a really important part of what we do.”
The UK transfer window only opened this week, did you have to be patient with Bristol Rovers since the end of last season or were you always optimistic Trevor would be back with us for this season?
“It’s like all transfers, you have to be patient when players are under contract with clubs. You have to make sure you do everything right. You can’t cut corners; you have to go by the rules. When players are under contract it’s important you deal with the club as well as the player. We’ve always known Trevor’s feelings, that he wanted to come to Rovers, but he was under contract at Bristol so we had to respect that and allow Trevor and Bristol Rovers to do their own business before we could do ours.”
Trevor missed the European games last season due to injury, when he came back fit, Rovers fans really saw how badly he was missed, he really was a key player last season in his second stint with the club.
“Like I said, we know Trevor’s pace, he must be one of the fastest players in the league. So we know when he plays he gives us a real outlet, he makes teams defend differently against us. As I also said, the most pleasing aspect for us as a staff is Trevor’s maturity in terms of his attitude to training, playing games and being an all-round better personal player. So, we’re getting Trevor now at a really good age.”
Trevor also spoke to us on his return on a permanent deal:
“I’m delighted to get it done, the big difference is it is now a permanent deal, something I’ve been looking to get done the past while. I’m delighted to get it over the line and looking forward to the season ahead.”
Trevor Clarke
How are you feeling ahead of the season after scoring five goals in twenty appearances last season, with three assists and unfortunately some injury spells?
“I’m feeling good now as we start pre-season and hopefully all the injuries are behind me. When I was getting a run of form and scoring, the injury came at the wrong time. So hopefully I’ll be injury-free and play in Europe and looking forward to getting back with the lads.”
You were such a fans’ favourite with those penetrating runs down the left, how much are you looking forward to playing in Europe?
“Europe is a big one. I missed it last season due to injury, which was very frustrating for me. So, with my game, getting down the line, beating people, getting crosses in, hopefully I can do that and help the team”
How happy and settled are you being back in Ireland since last year?
“I’m back at the club where I feel most at home. So that’s a big thing for me to be back on a permanent basis. Most of the group and staff are the same from last season so it was an easy decision to come back home.”
