Leon Clarke has opened up on his three-and-a-half year spell with Sheffield Wednesday.
Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, the striker admitted he ‘didn’t help himself’ during his time with the club.
Leon Clarke began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers before joining Sheffield Wednesday for £300,000 in 2007.
The forward only managed 18 goals in 87 games for the Owls, before he was eventually released following the club’s relegation to League One.
Clarke is now mostly disliked at Hillsborough because of his move to Sheffield United six years later, though the 38-year-old still regrets his time under Brian Laws.
“I probably didn’t help myself at the beginning,” he told The Yorkshire Post.
“Probably being young and naive, not giving myself the best opportunity to play regularly by not being in the best physical shape I could have been in.
“There were spells during the period where I did well and scored some goals. It looked like I could kick on and have some momentum then I’d get an injury. It kind of put me back.
“I just think I didn’t help myself by not being in best physical shape I could have possibly been in, not understanding how I should live my livelihood and how I should go about my work everyday.”
Leon Clarke played for 22 clubs during his career
Leon Clarke definitely had more success at Bramall Lane than he did at Hillsborough, winning back-to-back promotions up to the Premier League.
However, the attacker isn’t fondly remembered at Sheffield Wednesday and rightly so. Any player to make the move across the Steel City deserves the criticism they get.