Ciaran Clark has been announced as a new signing for a team run by Stephen Ireland in a $1 million seven-a-side summer soccer tournament in the United States.
The 34-year-old Republic of Ireland international, formerly of Newcastle United and Aston Villa, joined Stoke City as an emergency signing in October due to an injury crisis. He signed a deal until the end of the season and made three appearances in the Championship – but none since Alex Neil’s final game in charge, a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on December 9. He has been named on the bench in eight of the following 21 matches.
Now he has been unveiled as a player for FC Sire 7 in the TST7v7, which will be held in North Carolina in June. Teammates will include Ireland and Stoke record signing Giannelli Imbula, who signed for Istanbulspor in August but only made four appearances. Tom Huddlestone, Danny Simpson, Ravel Morrison and Keiren Westwood have also been called up by Ireland.
Ireland said over dramatic Hollywood music in a social media post: “I’m coming back this summer again with a bigger and better squad called Sire 7. This year I’m going to have many of my friends with me – Danny Simpson, Tom Huddlestone, Ravel Morrison, Oumar Niasse, Keiren Westwood and many more. We’re coming back this year bigger and stronger and we’re going to win a million dollars.”
Clark is in a group of senior players who are coming towards the end of their terms at Stoke and the future is clearer for some than others. He had played in 11 games last season as he was disrupted by injury as Sheffield United won promotion to the Premier League.
Enda Stevens, Jordan Thompson, Wesley, Tyrese Campbell, Frank Fielding, Tom Edwards, D’Margio Wright-Phillips and Blondy Nna Noukeu are all currently scheduled to become free agents in June. Daniel Iversen, Ki-Jana Hoever, Luke McNally, Sead Haksabanovic and Luke Cundle will head back to their parent clubs after loans.
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