Sky Sports presenter David Prutton has spoken about Jack Clarke’s permanent switch to Sunderland, and the “huge asset” the club has that will help them in their return to the Championship.
The Black Cats secured promotion via the play-offs back to the second tier after a four-year stint in League One, in which they fell at the play-off hurdle on two occasions before getting the job done last season under Alex Neil.
21-year-old Clarke played a part in the Wearsiders' long-awaited promotion, playing 20 games on loan for the club last season, which was turned into a permanent move this summer from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Clarke rose to prominence quickly, coming through the academy at Leeds United and putting in some impressive displays for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the 2018/19 season, attracting interest from many clubs. Spurs won that battle to sign the youngster, paying £10million for his services.
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However, Clarke never really got his chance in a frustrating three years of unsuccessful loan spells, but he may have found a home at Sunderland. Prutton believes Clarke “has a point to prove” as he looks to get his career back on track.
Prutton said on the Mirror's Championship preview : “[Sunderland] knew of Jack [Clarke] and what type of player he was by having him under their wing last season. I think he has a point to prove, and I don’t think that is too outlandish to say. For a guy that burst onto the scene with Leeds, got a massive move to Spurs and is now looking to reassert himself and show what he can do.”
On Sunderland as a whole, Prutton went on to discuss how the club’s large fanbase will be a big factor in how they fair next season and that it will be a big occasion when the Championship’s top clubs travel to the Stadium of Light.
“The way Alex [Neil] spoke about how Sunderland viewed itself and how it was viewed by the wider football community was that they were better than a League One club, but his take on it was that we’re in League One, so we’re not better, but now it is different.
“Is this the great ascent back to being back in the Premier League? The season ticket sales were enormous for League One, massive for the Championship and big English football in general. So, without taking away from what Alex does and the personnel on the pitch, the support is going to play a massive part with the scenes there [at the Stadium of Light]. It is a huge asset for them.”
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