Zander Clark

Zander Clark (born 26 June 1992) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for St Johnstone as a goalkeeper. He has also had loan spells at Elgin City and Queen of the South.

Zander Clark
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-06-26) 26 June 1992
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 St Johnstone
Number 1
Youth career
Hamilton Academical
2008–2011 St Johnstone
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011– St Johnstone 168 (0)
2011–2012 → Elgin City (loan) 33 (0)
2013–2014 → Queen of the South (loan) 24 (0)
2014–2015 → Queen of the South (loan) 33 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 08:47, 1 May 2022 (UTC)

Club career

Raised in Clydebank,[2] Clark began his career in the youth sides at Hamilton Academical and then St Johnstone.[3] On 4 July 2011, Clark joined Elgin City on loan ahead of the 2011–12 season.[4]

On 17 October 2013, Clark signed for Queen of the South on loan until 1 January 2014.[5][6] He made his debut on 19 October 2013, in a 2–1 defeat against Dundee.[7] Then on 14 January 2014, the loan was extended until the end of the season.[8]

On 14 May 2014, Clark signed a new two-year contract with St Johnstone.[9] On 25 July 2014, Queen of the South announced that Clark had returned to the club on loan for the season.[10] Queens announced on 28 May 2015 that Clark was returning to St Johnstone.[11]

Clark made his first appearance for St Johnstone on 26 September 2015, coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Dundee United.[12] It was announced shortly afterwards that Clark had signed a new contract with St Johnstone, due to run until the summer of 2018.[13]

In July 2017 he was taken to hospital following a head injury in a friendly match against Sunderland.[14] He was released from hospital after being diagnosed with a concussion.[15]

Clark was suggested as a possible candidate for the Scotland international squad during the 2018–19 season, particularly when he kept five consecutive clean sheets in the autumn[16] and also after a good performance in a 2–0 home defeat against Celtic in early February.[17] Later in February 2019 he suffered a hamstring injury.[18]

During a Scottish Cup quarter-final against the Scottish champions Rangers in April 2021, Clark assisted in St Johnstone's 122nd-minute goal to take the game into a penalty shoot-out. Having come up the field for a corner, Clark flicked on Liam Craig's cross, and the ball was turned into the goal by Chris Kane.[19] In the shoot-out itself, Clark saved attempts from James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe, as St Johnstone won 4–2 to progress to the semi-finals;[19] they went on to win the trophy, Clark keeping a clean sheet in the final[20] (as he had in the League Cup Final three months earlier).[21]

International career

Clark received his first call-up to the senior Scotland squad in August 2021 for games against Denmark, Moldova and Austria.[22][2] He earned his second call up in November 2021.[23]

Career statistics
As of match played 30 April 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Scottish Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
St Johnstone 2011–12[24] Scottish Premier League 000000—00
2012–13[25] 0000000000
2013–14[26] Scottish Premiership 0000000000
2014–15[27] 0000000000
2015–16[28] 6000000060
2016–17[29] 2602030—310
2017–18[30] 16000002[lower-alpha 1]0180
2018–19[31] 3302060—420
2019–20[32] 2903020—340
2020–21[33] 270407000380
2021–22[34] 30010304[lower-alpha 2]0380
Total 1680120210602070
Elgin City (loan) 2011–12[24] Scottish Third Division 33030104[lower-alpha 3]0410
Queen of the South (loan) 2013–14[26] Scottish Championship 24030202[lower-alpha 4]0310
Queen of the South (loan) 2014–15[27] Scottish Championship 33010203[lower-alpha 5]0390
Career total 25801902501503170
  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. Two appearances in UEFA Europa League and two appearances in UEFA Conference League
  3. Two appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup, two in Second Division play-offs
  4. Appearances in Premiership play-offs
  5. One appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup, two in Premiership play-offs

Honours

St Johnstone

References
  1. "Profile". St Johnstone F.C. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. John and Paul McGinn: Clydebank's footballing heroes star against Austria, Clydebank Post, 9 September 2021
  3. Stewart, Craig (1 November 2013). "Clark delighted to get clearance to play". Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  4. "Elgin bring in goalkeeper". Scottish Professional Football League. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  5. "Queens Loyal". www.facebook.com.
  6. "Doonhamers call for Clark". Scottish Professional Football League. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  7. McNair, Andrew (24 October 2013). "Keeper Zander Clark happy with his debut for Queen of the South". Daily Record. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  8. "Bob McHugh: Motherwell striker joins Queen of the South on loan". BBC Sport. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  9. "NEW TWO YEAR DEAL FOR ZANDER". St Johnstone F.C. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  10. "Zander Clark Rejoins". Queen of the South F.C. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  11. "QosFC: Player Update". www.qosfc.com.
  12. Mitchell, Paul (26 September 2015). "St Johnstone 2–1 Dundee Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  13. "St Johnstone: Zander Clark extends contract after debut". BBC Sport. 8 October 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  14. "St Johnstone's Zander Clark taken to hospital during win over Sunderland". BBC Sport. 15 July 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  15. "St Johnstone's Zander Clark is out of hospital after picking up knock against Sunderland". BBC Sport. 16 July 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  16. Roache, Ian (14 November 2018). "Scotland coach Peter Grant defends decision to ignore St Johnstone's in-form keeper Zander Clark". The Courier. DC Thomson. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  17. "Zander Clark: St Johnstone goalkeeper earns plaudits in Celtic defeat". BBC Sport. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  18. "Zander Clark: St Johnstone goalkeeper expected back sooner from hamstring injury". BBC Sport. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  19. Southwick, Andrew (25 April 2021). "Rangers 1-1 St Johnstone (St Johnstone win 4-2 on penalties)". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  20. St Johnstone complete dream double after beating Hibs to win Scottish Cup, The Guardian, 22 May 2021
  21. "St Johnstone sink Livingston to claim their first Scottish League Cup". The Guardian. 28 February 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  22. "Scotland: Zander Clark, Liam Kelly & Lewis Ferguson called up for World Cup qualifiers". BBC Sport. BBC. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  23. "Stoke's Brown 'buzzing' at Scotland call" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  24. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  25. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  26. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  27. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  28. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  29. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  30. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  31. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  32. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  33. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  34. "Games played by Zander Clark in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  35. Lindsay, Clive (22 May 2021). "Perth side complete domestic cup double". BBC. Retrieved 22 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. "St Johnstone beat Livingston to clinch their first League Cup". BBC. 28 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
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