James David McClen (born 13 May 1979) is an English retired footballer who played as a defender or midfielder.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James David McClen[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 13 May 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Cramlington, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1997 | Newcastle United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2005 | Newcastle United | 14 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | → Motherwell (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2005 | Carlisle United | 2 | (0) |
| 2006 | Blyth Spartans | 1 | (1) |
| 2006 | Shrewsbury Town | 4 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Kidderminster Harriers | 5 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Bedlington Terriers (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 2007 | Hamilton Academical | 3 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Gateshead | 31 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Newcastle Blue Star (loan) | ||
| 2008–2009 | Newcastle Blue Star | ||
| 2009–2010 | Morpeth Town | ||
| Total | 70 | (3) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:27, 15 August 2010 (UTC) | |||
Early life and youth career
editMcClen attended St. Benet Biscop Catholic High School in Bedlington, Northumberland. He honed his footballing skills at the youth academy of Newcastle United at the age of 10 after being spotted whilst playing for Cramlington Juniors.
Playing career
editNewcastle United
editMcClen debuted for Newcastle in 1999 against Tottenham Hotspur under the management of Ruud Gullit. Gullit offered McClen a long-term deal which was promptly signed. He drifted out of the first-team picture for a few years, only to get a break in the team when injuries took their toll on Newcastle. McClen took his chance, including a goal against Peterborough United in the FA Cup,[2] going on to make 10 more appearances in the 2001–02 season, including against Arsenal in the FA Cup. McClen's performances that season, in which Newcastle finished 4th, earned him another long-term deal which was promptly signed. However, McClen struggled to retain his place in the first team before eventually being released in 2005 to Carlisle United.
Later career
editMcClen's spell at Carlisle only lasted a few months before he was released. He then went to Blyth Spartans on a short-term basis. He returned to the Football League to join Shrewsbury Town, but he was released due to concerns over his fitness levels. In June 2006 he signed a 12-month contract with Kidderminster Harriers of the Football Conference. On 3 November 2006, McClen returned to the north-east to play for Bedlington Terriers on loan.
McClen was released by Kidderminster in January 2007[3] and signed for Hamilton Academical until the end of the season.[4] However, he was released in March 2007.[5]
In August 2007, McClen joined Northern Premier League outfit Gateshead ahead of the 2007–08 season.[6] January 2008 saw McClen join Newcastle Blue Star on loan until the end of the season.[7] The move became permanent at the start of the 2008–09 season.
After Newcastle Blue Star dissolved, McClean joined Morpeth Town, before a trial with Thai Premier League side Pattaya United F.C. [8] in January 2010. McClen opted to stay in the north-east as he had a young family.
External links
edit- Jamie McClen's at Soccerbase
References
edit- ^ "Jamie McClen". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Magpies edge past Posh". BBC. 27 January 2002. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ "McClen and Harriers part company". BBC Sport. 11 January 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2007.
- ^ "Hamilton secure Harriers' McClen". BBC Sport. 31 January 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
- ^ "Jag's can't count on staying up". Daily Record. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
- ^ "Bogie quietly confident of success". icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk. 12 August 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
- ^ "New signings for Newcastle Blue Star". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 1 February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
- ^ thaileagueonline.com: report about the signing Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine