It was a very mixed night for Tottenham Hotspur loanee Jack Clarke on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old winger came on at half-time of Stoke City’s visit of Swansea last night and had a brilliant cameo.
Clarke, who joined the Championship side on loan from Tottenham in January, was proving himself a major threat for the visitors.
But Michael O’Neill’s side ultimately lost 2-1 when Andre Ayew casually slotted a penalty in injury time – and it was the Spurs youngster who conceded the spot-kick.
That being said, television replays did suggest that Kyle Naughton – once on the Lilywhites’ books himself – may have gone to ground rather easily, amid little to no contact from Clarke.
However, Swansea didn’t care and Ayew certainly didn’t.
At full-time, the veteran striker, who was linked with a move to Jose Mourinho’s side during the winter of 2020, was photographed pointing and laughing at Clarke.
For the sake of context, Clarke himself could’ve been accused of going to ground fairly easily himself in an effort to win fouls – and one in particular enraged Ayew earlier in the game.
If we’re honest, the young attacker was just a victim of rotten luck, but it’s bound to take its toll on his confidence levels nonetheless.
This is a player who already hasn’t been making the Championship club’s first XI and it’s plausible that effectively losing the game for City might exacerbate that, despite the fact he was arguably his side’s best player in the second half.
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