Biography
Versatile defender and midfielder Max Oliver Clark was considered the pick of the youth team crop for his age, having joined the Tigers production line as a ten year old. His coming of age coincided with City’s elevation to the Premier League, as a result his first team chances were effectively zero. By March 2016 Clark was still highly rated and he captained the Reserves team, but he needed first team experience. In March 2016 and July 2016 he commenced two loan spells at League Two side Cambridge United, making a total of 44 senior appearances and scoring once. After City’s relegation from the Premier League in May 2017 Clark was back at the KC Stadium and broke into the first team for the first time. He made his City debut at left back in the first game of the 2017-18 season, proving himself to be a well rounded defender with an attacking threat in his breakthrough season.
Max’s contract expired in June 2018 and he was offered a new deal by City, however he instead plumped for a move to Dutch Eredivisie team Vitesse Arnhem, managed by future City boss Leonid Slutsky. Clark’s progress at Vitesse was rapid and even featured three minutes in an August 2018 Europa League tie against FC Basel. Within a year Clark was a first team regular and being talked about as a Premier League signing. However when Slutsky left Arnhem in November 2019 Clark fell out of favour and by February 2021 he had scored three goals in 57 appearances for the Dutch outfit but hadn’t featured in the first team since February 2020.
Max rejoined the Tigers on the first day of February 2021 on a short term deal, providing manager Grant McCann with bench cover for Callum Elder at left back. A hamstring injury ended Max’s season early after he sat on the City bench a few times, and he was released in May 2021.
In June 2021 Clark joined League One side Fleetwood Town where he played alongside another City youth team product Dan Batty. After 15 appearances for Fleetwood, Max was on the move again in January 2022 when he signed for League Two side Rochdale, who were managed by ex-Tiger Robbie Stockdale. He made 23 appearances and scored once for Dale before transferring to League Two rivals Stevenage in June 2022. Max was a first team regular as Stevenage won promotion from League Two, scoring once in 47 appearances before his release in May 2023.
In June 2023 he signed for League Two contenders Gillingham and provided a supporting role to the first team in his first season, scoring one goal in 28 appearances as the ambitious Kent side cycled through three first team managers.
While at Hull City’s academy Max won England honours at under-16 and Under-17 representative levels, he made two appearances for the Under-16s in October 2010 and February 2011 against Wales and Slovenia respectively, while still only 15 years old. He made three appearances for the Under-17s in August and September 2012 against Italy, Turkey and Portugal.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 19 January 1996, Hull
Hull City First Game: 5 August 2017, Aston Villa A (Championship), 21 years, 198 days old
Hull City Final Game: 14 April 2018, Sheffield Wednesday H (Championship), 22 years, 85 days old
Clubs
Hull City (2014-2018), Cambridge United (2016, loan), Cambridge United (2016-2017, loan), Vitesse Arnhem (2018-2021), Hull City (2021), Fleetwood Town (2021-2022), Rochdale (2022), Stevenage (2022-2023), Gillingham (2023-current)
Hull City Record
Career: 30 apps, 0 goals
Max Clark| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014/15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2015/16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2016/17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2017/18 | 25 (2) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2020/21 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |