Why Ipswich Town’s Jack Clarke wears the number 47 - it involves Leeds United | OneFootball

Jack Clarke has worn the No.47 at multiple clubs throughout his career

Jack Clarke has worn the number 47 multiple times during his career, a tradition he has carried on from his time at Leeds United.

Football is a sport full of superstition, with top-level athletes sometimes resorting to certain pre-match methods they perform religiously or only wearing certain items of clothing/boots during a specific period of time.

This has helped some footballers remove any sort of mental battle in the build-up to a match, having calmed their minds by following a process that has worked for them in the past. However, that can also impact performances at times, when for whatever reason, they haven’t been able to stick to their routine.

Another trivial element that footballers debate over can be shirt numbers, which have varying levels of meaning to those playing the game.

Some operators’ numbers are connected to their family in some way, which means that it is of great importance that they get to use them wherever they go. Others, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, have created a brand around their number, which is why it’s imperative that they get to take it from team to team.

Often, players who choose to use a number outside of the traditionally used selections do so for a specific reason. Ipswich Town’s Jack Clarke has used the No.47 on multiple occasions, but the story behind it isn’t what some may expect.

The story behind Jack Clarke choosing to wear No.47

Clarke came through the academy ranks at Leeds United and burst into their first team during the 2018/19 campaign. Having impressed at academy level, the forward thrust straight into action, aiding a Whites side that were fighting for promotion to the Premier League.

Obviously, he needed a number to wear but with the first-team players already having selected their preferred choices, Clarke didn’t have much to pick from.

He landed upon 47 for no given reason, admitting later that there weren’t any superstitious reasons behind the choice, and continued to use that number throughout the rest of his time at Elland Road. Tottenham Hotspur bought him in the summer of 2019, before loaning the winger back to Leeds for the following campaign.

There, Clarke continued to wear the No.47, as well as during his time on loan at QPR and Stoke City. After that, a break in the 25-year-old usage of the number came about, following his move to Sunderland.

At the Stadium of Light, Clarke selected 25 and 20 to don on his back, which appeared to be the end of his relationship with the number 47. This was also the period of time when the attacker announced himself fully to the second-tier, ripping apart defences on a weekly basis in the North East. That was until 2024, when he moved to Ipswich Town.

Former Town star Omari Hutchinson was wearing the No.20, which meant Clarke had to get creative once more about which shirt he was going to select. Choosing to return to his roots, the forward picked 47 once more, which he has continued to wear for the Tractor Boys ever since.

Jack Clarke will hope to achieve further success wearing the No.47

During his time wearing the No.47, Clarke has emerged as one of the Championship’s deadliest forwards.

He got his first taste of consistent Premier League football last term, but was playing in an Ipswich Town side that didn’t meet the required standard to remain in the division, so he couldn’t really show what he had to offer.

The 25-year-old has had to compete with Jaden Philogene for a starting place on the left wing this term, but has impacted matches positively whenever he’s been on the pitch.

It’s somewhat unique for a footballer in the modern game to take a unique number, such as 47, to multiple different clubs, but it allows Clarke to stand out from other players.

The attacker will hope that it isn’t much longer before he can wear the number in the Premier League once more, hopefully for a much longer time than Clarke has previously enjoyed.