Ciaran Clark

LATEST NEWS

Ciaran Clark looks set to miss the clash against Chelsea with a foot injury.

The versatile defender missed the victories over Sunderland and Norwich with the same problem.

WHAT HE SAID

It's brilliant to be playing alongside Ron Vlaar. When he came in, we seemed to understand each other right from our first training session. The more we train and the more we play together, the stronger we'll get.

This season it's nice that I've been able to settle down and get myself into one position, which is what I've always wanted.

WHAT OTHERS SAID

Paul Lambert: Ciaran Clark seems to be growing, he's coming of age. He's been excellent. He seems to have been around for years but he's only 21. He's got a terrific future in the game.

MINI PROFILE

Ciaran Clark has been involved heavily in the senior set-up for several years and seems to have already made a major breakthrough this term.

He was involved in the Premier Reserve League winning team of 2008-09.

He was also part of the Peace Cup-winning team in 2009, beating Juventus in the final.

Clark made his top-flight debut in a 2-0 win against Fulham in August 2009, helping the team keep a clean sheet and almost scoring in the process.

Following an astute and assured performance, Clark was then named in Garth Crooks BBC Team of the Week, alongside some of the biggest names in the game.

It wasn't long before Clark was cementing himself in the first team, often playing out of position at left back or in midfield when injuries arose.

His biggest season at Villa so far came during Gerard Houllier's 2010-11 reign.

Clark scored his first two goals for Villa in an enthralling 4-2 defeat to Arsenal in November 2010.

The first was a powerful volley which deflected off the bar before bouncing over the line. The second was a dominant header which dragged the score back to 2-3.

Another important goal came in the now famous 3-3 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

But that wasn't the end of Clark's scoring escapades, as a dazzling run full of stepovers followed by a perfectly executed left-footed strike against Bristol Rovers in January proved.

Injuries unfortunately prevented Clark from a full 2011-12 programme, but he still managed to score two goals in 18 appearances.

Clark began his Villa career at the age of eleven. He captained the U18 team to the 2007-08 Premier Academy League title before being given a squad number for the 2008-09 season.

Clark will be hoping to make a huge impact for both Villa and Republic of Ireland in the coming years.

INTERESTING FACT

Ciaran Clark stated his international career with England, skippering the U19s at one point. But he switched allegiances to the Republic of Ireland.