Jack Clarke quizzed on future as Sunderland winger reflects on last season's injury setback
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Jack Clarke believes he could have brought a lot more last season despite scoring 15 Championship goals for Sunderland.
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Hide AdThe 23-year-old finished as the Black Cats’ top goalscorer despite missing six games with an ankle injury towards the end of the campaign. Clarke is now preparing for the new season after starting Sunderland's friendly against Gateshead, despite interest from top-flight clubs and uncertainty over his future.
When reflecting on last season and time to recover this summer, Clarke said: “Thankfully for me the break came at a good time to give my injury a rest and time to heal. Like everyone else, I'm still trying to get up to match speed and fitness and dust off the cobwebs. Hopefully by the time the season starts I'll be back at my best.
“I still feel like I could have brought a lot more. I'll try to bring a lot more as the season unfolds. There were still a lot of chances I missed and still a lot more I could have done, hopefully I'll bring that this season.”
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Hide AdAsked about targets ahead of the new campaign, Clarke replied: “I just take it as it comes to be honest. A lot of people do set goals and want to achieve things game to game or throughout the season but for me I never do things like that because I was in a good patch, then I got injured and was out for eight weeks. If I'd set myself a target of scoring 20 goals it would have looked like a failure. I never try to expect too much of myself, I just go out there and play and hopefully enjoy it.”
Clarke initially joined Sunderland on loan from Tottenham in 2022, helping the club win promotion from League One, before signing for the Black Cats permanently.
“I feel like I’ve grown,” said the winger when asked about his time at Sunderland. “I feel like I still had a lot of raw ability when I first joined. Playing however many games over the last few seasons you learn different things.
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Hide Ad“I don’t think I’m trying to do anything differently now to what I was doing then but I think just having the confidence to keep trying these things, and obviously the club is in a better place than when I joined in League One. There are better players playing alongside me every week.”
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