Football News

Jack Clarke warned about leaving Leeds Utd for Spurs

By Ollie Thomas

Published: 20:06, 30 June 2019

Jack Clarke’s proposed move to Tottenham Hotspur is ‘the wrong move’, according to former England full-back Danny Mills.

Clarke passed a medical at Spurs on Thursday ahead of his proposed move from Leeds United, but Mills believes that Clarke will be ‘nowhere near’ the first team if the transfer goes through.

Too soon for Clarke to Spurs? Five things to know…

  • Jack Clarke broke into the Leeds first team in 2017.
  • He played 25 times in the league last season, making four starts and registering two goals and two assists.
  • Boss Marcelo Bielsa didn’t use Clarke in either leg of their play-off semi-final against Derby.
  • Spurs are on the verge of completing an £8.5m deal for the winger.
  • He is set to become their first signing since Fernando Llorente joined them on Deadline Day in 2017.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Mills made it clear that he thinks Clarke is making a mistake by going to Spurs at such a young age.

He said: “He’s too young, he is going to be nowhere near the first team, there’s a lot of potential there, but at this stage, it is very very raw and it is purely potential.

“Next season he might’ve had 15-20 starts and had the opportunity to impress, he now goes to Tottenham and at best he’s going to be in the U23 squad.

“Playing games week in week out is what he needs to do, I think this could actually send his career a bit backwards because he is not going to play football.”

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Does Mills have a point?

Despite Clarke’s undoubted ability, the youngster has only had one full season as part of Leeds’ first team: even then, just four starts and no involvement in Leeds’ biggest games of the season shows that Bielsa clearly doesn’t think he is the finished article yet.

It is his lack of game-time at Leeds which has led many to believe Clarke is not ready to make the step up. Mills, who made 131 appearances at the club across five years, underlined the difference between starting and coming off the bench.

He added: “You’re coming off the bench and it’s easier to pick the ball up and run at people, why has Bielsa said ‘you are not worthy of more starts?’

“I actually think it’s the wrong move, is he going to be in the Tottenham team next season? No chance.”