Leon Clarke named in Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United claim - "the most notable" thing he did came at Hillsborough | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has given his verdict on which of the club's former players is most disliked by the fanbase.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

There are not too many players who have played for both Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, but striker Leon Clarke is one man who has crossed the Steel City divide.

Clarke joinedSheffield Wednesday from Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2007, but he had an underwhelming three-and-a-half-year spell at Hillsborough as he scored just 18 goals and provided six assists in 87 appearances.

The 40-year-old's best season for the Owls came in the 2008-09 campaign as he scored nine goals in 30 games, but the following year, he was part of the team that suffered relegation to League One, and he was subsequently released at the end of his contract.

Clarke then had spells with a host of different clubs over the next six years, including the likes of Queens Park Rangers, Swindon Town, Charlton Athletic, Coventry City and Bury, before making a shock move to Sheffield United in the summer of 2016.

While Clarke did help the Blades win the League One title in his first season at Bramall Lane, he scored just nine goals in 26 games during the course of the campaign, and it looked unlikely that he would have a big role to play for Chris Wilder's side in the Championship.

However, Clarke produced the best form of his career in the second tier in the 2017-18 season as he netted a stunning 19 goals in 39 appearances, including netting a double against his former club Wednesday in his side's 4-2 victory at Hillsborough, as well as hitting four goals in one game in a memorable 4-1 victory over Hull City.

That season would prove to be the highlight of Clarke's time at the club, and after he was loaned out to Wigan Athletic in January 2019, United went on to secure promotion to the Premier League in his absence before he eventually departed in the summer of 2020.

Damning Sheffield Wednesday verdict issued on Leon Clarke after Sheffield United exploits

When asked which of the club's former players is most disliked by the fanbase, FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna claimed that title belongs to Clarke, and he questioned why the striker was able to deliver for Sheffield United after performing so poorly during his time at Hillsborough.

"If I'm going to name a player who used to play for Sheffield Wednesday who the majority of the fans don't like, I would probably say Leon Clarke is the answer to that," Patrick told FLW.

"In his time at Wednesday, he did have some good moments, but he was generally seen as quite lazy.

"He got injured quite a lot, and when he played for us, he never fulfilled his potential.

"Of course, one of the abiding memories of him is when, in that really important relegation last day decider against Crystal Palace, he scores and then he breaks his toe, which kind of summed up his time at Wednesday.

"Then he became a Sheffield United player, and he really didn't endear himself to us when he did that.

"He seemed to do a lot more for Sheffield United than he ever did for us.

"Indeed, I never saw him score four goals in one game for Wednesday.

"He scored two goals in a game for them when they beat us 4-2 at Hillsborough.

"When the guy who didn't fulfil his potential at Wednesday then scores twice at Hillsborough, he's not going to endear himself to our fanbase.

"Leon Clarke, I suppose, is the answer to that, but it is probably the most notable thing he did in his career, and he never went on to achieve what he should."

Leon Clarke came back to haunt Sheffield Wednesday after underwhelming Hillsborough stint

It was clear during Clarke's spell at Sheffield Wednesday that he had talent, but he never managed to show that on a consistent basis, and he will forever be remembered for his role in the club's relegation to League One.

Given Clarke's lack of goals during his time at Hillsborough, Owls supporters may not have been too concerned when he made the move to Sheffield United, and they surely could not have predicted what was to come as he came back to bite them in the worst possible way.

Clarke's double in United's 4-2 win over Wednesday in September 2017 proved to be a sliding doors moment in the Steel City as it marked the start of the balance of power shifting towards the Blades, and they have had the upper hand over their near neighbours ever since, so he will remain an unpopular figure in S6 for a long time to come.