Clarke released by City

ST ALBANS City have announced that long-serving attacker Lee Clarke is leaving the club following five years at Clarence Park after his contract was ended by mutual consent. Clarke, who is the seventh highest scorer in the club s history, has struggled wi

ST ALBANS City have announced that long-serving attacker Lee Clarke is leaving the club following five years at Clarence Park after his contract was ended by mutual consent.

Clarke, who is the seventh highest scorer in the club's history, has struggled with injury this season restricting him to just 13 starts and six sub appearances the last of which came in City's 5-4 defeat at home to Bromley.

Speaking of the club's decision to release Clarke, manager Steve Castle said;

"I brought Lee to the club when he was at Peterborough. He's a cracking lad. Things go on off the football pitch that sometimes impact on the football pitch and I think maybe that's got in the way of Lee's career.

"I'm hoping he gets that out of the way because he's 25/26 and there's room for him to be playing at least Conference South football but he's got to be as fit as he was in his early 20s and not really the midfield player that we had to turn him into. He's a cracking footballer, hopefully he gets his head sorted out and if he comes back, no one will be more pleased than me to see him playing at as high a level as possible."

Clarke, the son of former Northern Ireland international Colin, joined the Saints in January 2004 from Peterborough United and has been City's leading scorer for the last five consecutive seasons.

He has made 231 appearances in his City career scoring 92 goals including the opening goal in the Saints 2-0 Conference South Playoff win over Histon in 2006.