| 7 – David Clarkson | |
| Full name | David Clarkson |
| Nationality |  Scotland
|
| Caps (goals) | 2 (1) |
| Rovers apps (goals)a | 34 (8) |
| Position | Forward |
| Date of birth | 10 September 1985 in Bellshill |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Joined | |
| 30 July 2012 from Bristol City
| |
| Senior clubs | |
| Motherwell Bristol City Brentford Bristol Rovers | |
| a League appearances and goals only Last updated by Gasheadsteve on 4/10/2013 | |
David Clarkson is a forward who joined Rovers in the summer of 2012 after having been released by local rivals Bristol City at the end of the previous season.
Although primarily a striker, manager Mark McGhee was forced to play him regularly in midfield during the early part of the 2012–13 season due to an injury crisis at the club, the peak of which saw eleven squad members unavailable for selection. Clarkson himself became part of that extensive injury list at the end of February 2013 however, when he had surgery on an ankle, sidelining him for the remainder of the campaign.
He was capped twice by the Scottish national side in 2008, and also represented the nation at under-21 and 'B' levels.
Club career[]
David started his career playing for his local side, Motherwell, in 2002. During his seven-year stint with Well he scored 49 times in 219 league games and played under his future boss at Rovers Mark McGhee.
While at Motherwell he played alongside his uncle, Phil O'Donnell. Tragedy struck in December 2007 though when O'Donnell died after suffering a cardiac arrest and collapsing on the pitch during a match against Dundee United.
In summer 2009 he moved south to join English side Bristol City for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to have been in the region of £800,000, signing a three-year contract. His stay at Ashton Gate saw him score eleven times in 63 league appearances before released at the end of the deal. Before leaving City he had a month-long loan at Brentford, where he played four times and scored once.
Following a trial period in the summer of 2012, Clarkson was reunited with McGhee when he agreed terms on a two-year deal with Rovers.
Career stats[]
| Season | Club | League | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | ||
| 2002–03 | Motherwell | 19 | 3 |
| 2003–04 | Motherwell | 38 | 12 |
| 2004–05 | Motherwell | 35 | 3 |
| 2005–06 | Motherwell | 30 | 4 |
| 2006–07 | Motherwell | 29 | 2 |
| 2007–08 | Motherwell | 35 | 12 |
| 2008–09 | Motherwell | 33 | 13 |
| 2009–10 | Bristol City | 26 | 4 |
| 2010–11 | Bristol City | 33 | 7 |
| 2011–12 | Bristol City | 4 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | →Brentford (loan) | 4 | 1 |
| 2012–13 | Bristol Rovers | 26 | 6 |
Record against Rovers[]
David has never played a competitive first team match against Bristol Rovers.
International career[]
David had a brief international career, winning two caps with Scotland in 2008. His first appearance came as a 71st-minute substitute against the Czech Republic, where he scored Scotland's only goal in a 3–1 defeat.
He had to wait another six months for his second and final cap, when he was again used as a substitute, this time against Argentina.
International appearances[]
- N.B. Scotland's score is always given first. (Source: Scottish Football Association)
| Date | Opposition | Result | Venue | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 May 2008 |  Czech Republic |
1–3 | Letenský stadion, Prague | Friendly |
| 19 November 2008 |  Argentina |
0–1 | Hampden Park, Glasgow | Friendly |
Manager: John Ward