Alex Neil explains why Sunderland move helped Jack Clarke after Leeds, Tottenham and Stoke spells

Stoke boss Alex Neil says dropping down to League One allowed Sunderland winger Jack Clarke to rebuild his confidence following a lack of first-team football at Tottenham.

The 22-year-old wideman initially joined Sunderland on loan in January 2022, before signing for the club permanently under Neil following the Black Cats' promotion from the third tier.

Clarke missed just one Championship match for Sunderland last season and is the division's joint top scorer with seven goals in 11 league games this campaign. The winger, who made 14 appearances for Stoke during a brief loan spell in 2021, will be now looking to add to his tally against the Potters during Saturday's Championship fixture.

When asked about Clarke, Neil said: “He’s excellent. Jack was obviously here on loan for a spell and he’s got that unique one v one ability to eliminate an opponent. That disrupts tactics, doesn’t it? If you can get him the ball, he can skip past somebody and then another player needs to come out, which frees up somebody else in the middle of the box.

"Jack had obviously had the immediate highs of Leeds as a young player then went to Tottenham. I think by his own admission he probably wasn’t quite ready to go and play at that level. So the best thing that happened for him was actually going to Sunderland in League One. I think at that point he needed to get back in love with the game, show everybody what he was capable of doing and build up his confidence and belief in himself."

Along with Clarke, Patrick Roberts, 26, is another Sunderland player who has revived his career on Wearside, while Neil is wary of the threat they will pose. “I think that spell for him and for Patrick on the other side was particularly important for them," added Neil when discussing Sunderland’s time in League One. "They could really get at defences and show the qualities they have. I think that the whole group has taken that and run with it, coming up into the Championship and showing that they’re extremely talented.”