Clarke relishing life in New Zealand
Saturday 16 January 2010
Hawke's BayFORMER Welsh Premier full-back Phil Clarke is enjoying life down under since leaving Technogroup Welshpool for Hawke's Bay United in New Zealand last October.
But the 21-year-old has enjoyed mixed fortunes on the pitch after suffering ruptured foot ligaments in a 2-0 home defeat to Team Wellington.
Clarke made 35 appearances for Caernarfon Town, Gap Connah's Quay and the Lilywhites after arriving in the domestic league from Vauxhall Motors and is one of three ex-Premier players now plying his trade in New Zealand.
His former Nomads' team-mate Adam Dickinson is at Auckland City, while ex-Canaries' colleague James Thomas is with Young Heart Manawatu after a spell in Australia with Dandenong Thunder.
"The league is only 14 games long but it is somehow stretched out over seven months, which is amazing," Clarke told welsh-premier.com.
"The standard is really good and I would say the top six in the Welsh Premier league would finish in the eight in the New Zealand Football Championship, with the exception of Auckland and Waitakere United who wouldn't struggle at Football League level.
"I claimed my first-team team place in a couple of pre-season games but then suffered the injury in a 50/50 tackle, so I missed the game against my close friend James Thomas, when we were beaten 1-0 in a game we should have won.
"I also missed a 2-2 draw against table toppers Waitakere at home and, after a three-week Christmas break, our first game back was against Adam's team Auckland, playing their first game back from the Fifa World Club Championship where they finished a very respectable fifth in a tournament which Barcelona went on to win.
"I played my first game in five weeks there and we were beaten 2-1 but had chances to win the game. Dicko also came on and we were able to catch up after the game.
"The league is really professional - all the grounds are up to scratch and the playing surfaces are Football League standard, while flying to away games also gives the league a really professional feel."
Clarke, who is hoping to feature in Bay's game against Waikato on Sunday, paid tribute to his manager at Welshpool, Huw Griffiths.
"I am thankful to Huw for allowing me to come over and giving me a good reference when my current coach, Matt Chandler, asked about me," he added.
"Matt is a really good coach and I can only learn more from his knowledge which will hopefully make me a better player and fulfill my hopes of being a professional footballer one day."
Photo (top): Phil Clarke (third left middle row) lines-up for the Hawke's Bay squad photo and (right) in Nomads' colours.