Craig Clay

Craig Clay

Clay playing for York City in 2013
Personal information
Full name Craig William Clay[1]
Date of birth (1992-05-05) 5 May 1992[1]
Place of birth Nottingham, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Motherwell
Number 20
Youth career
2008–2010 Chesterfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Chesterfield 27 (1)
2010 → Barrow (loan) 1 (0)
2012 → Alfreton Town (loan) 4 (1)
2013–2014 York City 8 (0)
2014 FC Halifax Town 4 (0)
2014 Worksop Town 9 (0)
2014–2016 Grimsby Town 74 (5)
2016– Motherwell 15 (0)
National team‡
2016– England C 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:39, 3 December 2016 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:16, 5 May 2016 (UTC)

Craig William Clay (born 5 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership side Motherwell.

Club career

Chesterfield

Born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Clay started his career with Chesterfield's youth system in 2008 and was part of the team that won the Youth League.[3][4] He was named Chesterfield's Young Player of the Year for the 2008–09 season.[5] His first involvement with the first team came as an unused substitute in a League Two match against Torquay United on 16 January 2010.[6] He made the bench on a number occasions through the rest of 2009–10, but did not make an appearance.[6]

He signed a two-year professional contract with Chesterfield in June 2010.[7] He made his debut for the club on 18 September 2010, in a 3–0 win over Cheltenham Town at the b2net Stadium, replacing Mark Allott in the 85th minute.[8] On 2 October 2010 he scored his first professional goal with a 25 yard strike during stoppage time to earn a 5–5 draw at home to Crewe Alexandra.[8][9] Clay joined Conference Premier club Barrow on a one-month loan with Chesterfield teammate Tendayi Darikwa on 28 October 2010.[10] His only appearance for Barrow was in a 5–0 defeat away to Rushden & Diamonds on 30 October 2010.[11] He made four appearances and scored one goal for Chesterfield in 2010–11, in which the club was promoted to League One as League Two champions.[8]

Clay was loaned out by Chesterfield for a second time on 20 January 2012, joining Conference Premier side Alfreton Town on a one-month loan.[12][13] He scored Alfreton's third goal in a 3–0 win away at Bath City on his debut on 24 January 2012 with a shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 90th minute.[14][15] Clay finished the loan with one goal in four appearances.[16] He made one more appearance for Chesterfield before the end of 2011–12, which he finished with eight appearances as the club was relegated to League Two.[14]

He signed a new one-year contract with Chesterfield in May 2012.[17] His only goal of 2012–13 came in a 6–1 win over League One Hartlepool United in the FA Cup first round on 3 November 2012.[18] Clay had a double hernia operation in March 2013 and after returning he made one more appearance before the end of the season, as an 89th-minute substitute in a 2–0 victory away to Barnet on 6 April.[18][19] He was released by Chesterfield on 29 April 2013 after making 23 appearances and scoring one goal in 2012–13.[18][20]

York City

Clay playing for York City in 2013

Clay signed for League Two side York City on a two-year contract 17 May 2013.[21][22] He made his debut in a 1–0 home win over Northampton Town on 3 August 2013, in the first game of 2013–14.[23] Having made 10 appearances for York, Clay left the club by mutual consent on 13 January 2014, along with Jamal Fyfield.[24]

FC Halifax Town and Worksop Town

He signed for Conference Premier outfit FC Halifax Town on a one-month contract on 16 January 2014 and made his debut two days later in a 1–1 home draw with Cambridge United.[16][25][26] After making four appearances for the club he was released on 24 February 2014.[27] Nearly a month later, Clay signed for Northern Premier League Premier Division club Worksop Town on 21 March 2014.[28] He made his debut the following day as an 84th-minute substitute for Shane Clarke in a 2–0 away win over Stafford Rangers.[29]

Grimsby Town

On 28 July 2014, Clay signed for Conference Premier side Grimsby Town on a one-year contract, having spent the pre-season on trial.[30] On 15 May 2016, he started for Grimsby as they beat Forest Green Rovers 3–1 at Wembley Stadium in the 2016 National League play-off Final.[31] This meant Grimsby were promoted into League Two, after a six-year absence from the Football League.[31] Clay was released when his contract expired at the end of the season.[32]

Motherwell

Upon his release from Grimsby, Clay joined South African Premier Division side Bidvest Wits on trial.[33] On 26 July 2016 Clay joined Scottish Premiership club Motherwell also on trial, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 victory over East Stirlingshire in the Scottish League Cup.[34] Clay made his league debut on 6 August in a 2–1 victory at Kilmarnock, before going on to sign a two-year contract with the club on 10 August 2016.[35]

International career

Clay made his debut for the England C national team as a substitute in their 2–0 away win over Ukraine under-20s in the International Challenge Trophy on 22 March 2016.[36]

Career statistics

As of 3 December 2016.
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Chesterfield 2009–10[37] League Two 0000000000
2010–11[8] League Two 3100001[lower-alpha 1]041
2011–12[14] League One 5010101[lower-alpha 1]080
2012–13[18] League Two 19021002[lower-alpha 1]0231
Total 271311040352
Barrow (loan) 2010–11[11] Conference Premier 10———10
Alfreton Town (loan) 2011–12[16] Conference Premier 41——0041
York City 2013–14[23] League Two 80101000100
FC Halifax Town 2013–14[16] Conference Premier 40———40
Worksop Town 2013–14[38] NPL Premier Division 90———90
Grimsby Town 2014–15[16] Conference Premier 39220—6[lower-alpha 2]0472
2015–16[16] National League 35340—5[lower-alpha 3]0443
Total 74560—110915
Motherwell 2016–17[39] Scottish Premiership 1500030—180
Career total 1427101501501728
  1. 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy
  2. ↑ Three appearances in FA Trophy, three in Conference Premier play-offs
  3. ↑ Three appearances in FA Trophy, two in National League play-offs

Honours

Grimsby Town

References

  1. 1 2 "Craig Clay". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "Craig Clay". ESPN FC. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  3. ↑ "Player Profile". Chesterfield F.C. Archived from the original on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  4. ↑ Kelly, Tony (24 May 2013). "Craig Clay plots to bring passion to York City's central midfield". The Press. York. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Two awards for hotshot Jack". Derbyshire Times. Chesterfield. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Results/matches: 2009/10". Soccerbase. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "Contracts for five youngsters". Derbyshire Times. Chesterfield. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Games played by Craig Clay in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  9. ↑ "Chesterfield 5–5 Crewe". BBC Sport. 2 October 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  10. ↑ "Barrow sign Clay and Darikwa on loan from Chesterfield". BBC Sport. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  11. 1 2 Williams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2011). Non-League Club Directory 2012. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 34–35. ISBN 978-1-869833-70-1.
  12. ↑ "Law adds Craig Clay on loan". Alfreton Town F.C. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "Two more go out on loan". Derbyshire Times. Chesterfield. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 "Games played by Craig Clay in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  15. ↑ "Bath City 0–3 Alfreton". BBC Sport. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "C. Clay". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Chesterfield trio agree new contracts". BBC Sport. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Games played by Craig Clay in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "The Paul Cook Interview – Spireites Hope To Keep Abreast of the Robins". Chesterfield Post. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  20. ↑ "Chesterfield release seven players as Tommy Wright leaves". BBC Sport. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  21. ↑ "York City: Ryan Jarvis and Craig Clay join on free transfers". BBC Sport. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  22. ↑ Kelly, Tony (18 May 2013). "Star turn Nigel Worthington tempts York City's new signings Ryan Jarvis and Craig Clay". The Press. York. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  23. 1 2 "Games played by Craig Clay in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  24. ↑ "Clay And Fyfield Depart". York City F.C. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  25. ↑ "Duo Sign For Shaymen". FC Halifax Town. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  26. ↑ "Midfielder Clay released by Town". Halifax Courier. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  27. ↑ "Craig Clay Leaves FC Halifax Town". FC Halifax Town. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  28. ↑ "New Signing – Craig Clay". Worksop Town F.C. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  29. ↑ "Stafford Rangers vs Worksop Town FC". Worksop Town F.C. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  30. ↑ "Grimsby Town snap up Jon-Paul Pittman and Craig Clay". Grimsby Telegraph. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  31. 1 2 3 Garry, Tom (15 May 2016). "Forest Green Rovers 1–3 Grimsby Town". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  32. ↑ "Grimsby Town Retained List". Grimsby Telegraph. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  33. ↑ http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/categories/south-africa/craig-clay-has-begun-training-with-bidvest-wits/233532
  34. ↑ http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36831778
  35. ↑ "Craig Clay joins the Steelmen". motherwellfc.co.uk. Motherwell F.C. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  36. ↑ "Recap: Grimsby Town's Craig Clay plays the final minutes of England C victory". Grimsby Telegraph. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  37. ↑ "Games played by Craig Clay in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  38. ↑ "Match Reports". Worksop Town F.C. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  39. ↑ "Games played by Craig Clay in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 August 2016.

External links

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