Josh Clarke (footballer, born 2004)
Josh Clarke (born 28 July 2004) is a professional footballer currently playing as a goalkeeper for Celtic. Born in England, he is a former youth international for Sweden and the Republic of Ireland, before opting to play for Northern Ireland in 2021. Early life Clarke was born in London to a Swedish mother, and would visit his maternal grandparents in Skåne County as a child. He attended the St John's School in Leatherhead. As well as playing football, Clarke was enrolled in the elite academy of professional rugby club Harlequins, and represented Surrey County in cricket. Club career Early career Having grown up living near Premier League side Chelsea's Cobham Training Centre, Clarke joined the academy of The Blues in 2011. During his time in the academy, he won a Goalkeeper of the Tournament award at the Kevin de Bruyne Cup in 2019, as Chelsea went on to win the youth competition. After leaving Chelsea ahead of the 2020–21 season, Clarke trained with Portuguese side Porto, and was reportedly scouted by Turkish side Beşiktaş. He had been in touch with Bournemouth since January 2020, and he joined the club following the expiration of his contract with Chelsea. In December of