Clarke Carlisle

Clarke Carlisle is a radio and television presenter , formerly a professional footballer. He has worked for Absolute Radio and as a commentator for ITV Sport across their FA Cup and Europa League coverage.

Clarke was part of the team that covered the World Cup from Brazil. He has authored two documentaries, Football’s Suicide Secret and the critically acclaimed documentary “Is Football Racist?”, alongside penning his autobiography.

Known for his eloquence and candour, Clarke has spoken openly about the depression which has dogged most of his adult life. Publicly discussing his mental health struggles and attempted suicide has put Clarke in a position of influence to aid the breakdown of the stigma around the subject. He is an ambassador for the mental health charity Mind and also the Premier League Kick It Out Campaign, which promotes inclusion and equality in football.

A prominent face in football, even since his retirement in 2013, he was formerly the PFA Chairman, and the first current, at the time, professional footballer to appear on the BBC’s Question Time. He can also claim to have won Britain’s brainiest Footballer as well as appearing on three episodes of Channel 4 prime time quiz show Countdown.

Clarke’s football career began when he made his debut for Blackpool in September 1997, before moving to Queens Park Rangers in 2000. He then had spells at Leeds United and Watford before joining Burnley. In 2000, Clarke was selected by Howard Wilkinson and won three caps for the England under-21s.

Experiencing the high highs and low lows of professional sport, he has won promotion with both Blackpool and Burnley, represented England and has played at the prestigious Wembley Stadium. However, in 2001 Clarke suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury which nearly ended his career.

His eloquence and honesty make Clarke the ideal speaker for health and wellbeing  events, and he is also an excellent corporate motivational speaker  and host .