On the 16th of August 2012, Caleb Clarke came on for Kenny Miller against FC Dallas. He played the last ten minutes in a losing cause, but long after the score line is forgotten, the moment will live on.
<i>"It was great, just having the whole crowd. I mean some people say they’re nervous, but I really enjoyed it, coming on, and showing it on the big stage. It was great."</i>
49 days later, he would repeat the feat, this time coming on for the final seven minutes against Chivas. That score line, 4-0, won’t soon be forgotten. These two matches, that 17 minutes, represented the entirety of his 2012 season.
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At 19 years of age, Clarke understands his role in the squad, and is there to learn, especially from the veterans on the team.
<i>"They help a lot, it’s great having the older players around because they’re so experienced, they’ve been at really high levels, Y.P., Kenny, Andy, all of them, and I think there’s a lot to learn. I learn new things from them every day, just by watching them and asking them questions."</i>
But it can be tough, being a young player trying to break into the squad. Playing time comes at a premium and last season he had an injury curtailed loan spell in Germany, which wasn’t the first time he had headed over to Europe.
<i>"When I was 16, I went over there; I was at Udinese for a while. It was a great experience and I really liked it there."</i>
It was a fine first experience, but not all loans go as planned, like his trial at FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt.
<i>"That one didn’t work out, but it was just another opportunity to learn, gain a little more experience, and try to get some playing time."</i>
Still, he remains upbeat and positive, with several moments already that he cherishes.
<i>"I think there’s a couple. First national team goals,"</i> plural, not singular, as the song goes, Caleb Clarke, superstar, how many goals have you scored so far, <i>"first professional contract, first professional game, I’ll remember those kinds of moments for a long time."</i>
Looking to future, he hopes to <i>"do as good as I can to help the team, and also the national team too. We have qualifying coming up, so that’s really important also."</i>
But once again, the most <i>"important thing is playing time. FC Edmonton has a pretty good team, so a loan deal could be a possibility, but we’ll see."</i>
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