Ben Clark is the youngest player in the Weymouth squad, however, despite being just 18 years of age, he is being relied on in the big moments of adult football. Clearly a young man with a good head on his shoulders, Ben sat down to discuss all from his stellar performance against Taunton, how men’s football compares to academy football and how he aims to bring a sense of pride back to those on the terraces.
Ben Clark was the Terras’ eighth signing of the summer. Weymouth have had some great goalkeepers in recent seasons, the likes of Harvey Wiles-Richards and Will Buse. Therefore, they are big gloves to fill. Clark joined just before the pre-season friendly against Portland United. Following a mixed bag of pre-season results, the season began and Clark had somewhat of a tough time. More recently a 3-0 loss to Wimborne and losing to Tadley Calleva 4-2 in the FA Cup.
In his own words the Bristol City loanee admitted “it wasn’t the best of starts for the team”. Nonetheless the youngster still felt as though he “settled in well”.
It is obvious that new manager Steve Claridge wants to up the intensity, the performance against Taunton in midweek emphasises that. This being said, Clark re-affirms that his role has not really changed.
“I do not think the change in playing style affects my role of making saves and commanding my area. At the moment the way we set up from goal-kicks hasn’t changed as we have Reuben who is very good at using his strength to hold the ball up and get us forward.”
However, it wasn’t frontman Reuben Reid who gave the Terras the lead, it was midfielder Tom Bearwish. However, a late goal from the home side meant the points were shared. This being said, Clark feels as though it was almost the perfect performance. When asked if anything was missing that prevented the team from getting over the line:
“I’m not sure that anything was missing. We knew Taunton were going to be tough, but the team were confident and determined to get a result which resulted in a fantastic performance from everyone. Unfortunately, it was just one lapse in concentration which allowed Taunton a clear-cut chance that they took. Other than that, everyone was excellent.”
Clark is without a doubt a younger member of the Weymouth squad, within the group there are hundreds of appearances specifically at non-league level. While they are not goalkeepers, Clark still values their advice, saying that “Having older and experienced players is crucial for a young player.”
Being relatively inexperienced and in the formative stages of his career, the Bristol City academy player explained how his teammates “help with your decision making and as a young player you might not always get things right and when things do go wrong, they step up to support you as they have probably been in the same situation many times before and know how best to deal with it.”
The general consensus around this squad is that they all want to restore the club to where it belongs, it’s something Brooklyn Genesini touched on in his interview last week. Young Ben Clark feels no differently, stating how “as a team we want the same thing.”
According to the young shot-stopper Steve Claridge has played a big part in relaying this message.
“We understand the importance to train hard and play our part in rebuilding this massive club. We are constantly being reminded of this by the manager, as a team we need to work hard and work together in order to rebuild the club.”
Despite it being a team effort and one where everyone will play their part, Clark was keen to touch on the personal pride that he feels when pulling on that Terras shirt.
“I feel privileged that I have been given this opportunity to be a part of it and understand my commitment to the club.”
The Weymouth fans have suffered in recent seasons, two relegations in three years and a return to Southern League football. However, after a good performance last time out, Clark believes that this current squad can bring the good times back to the Bob Lucas Stadium.
“I do believe we can. It was a quality performance from everyone against Taunton, we stuck together and worked hard in what was a great game. Although we didn’t win, the travelling fans were supportive and amazing. You could sense that they were seeing the improvements that have been made.”
The Weymouth fans always make their presence felt whether that is home or away, Clark says that they will be crucial to the team’s on-field success.
“I am confident with the fans showing belief it will really support us as players going forward.”
When looking at most successful non-league outfits, they tend to have a vastly experienced, older goalkeeper in between the sticks. When asked whether he feels he could buck the trend, Clark said:
“Yes I’d like to think, the game is changing all the time, but you still need a mix. The older players will have the experience but I have more speed and agility which will help make crucial saves, keep clean sheets and win points.”
Clark also spoke on the challenges that come with being a goalkeeper, but also highlighted why some of these obstacles spur on his love of the game.
“No matter how old you are, how much experience you have as a goalkeeper, there is always an immense amount of pressure on you. Having to stay focused for 90 minutes, any lapse in concentration could lead to one mistake and the majority of the time this is the difference between winning or not. As a young ‘keeper you are constantly learning, improving your decision making and adapting to new styles for different managers. That’s what keeps the game exciting.”
Non-league football is littered with young talents on loan from football league clubs. Virtually every side in the upper echelons of the semi-professional game will utilise the loan market to sign a young talented academy player. Clark echoed that there is no better place than senior men’s football when it comes to developing.
“Academy football can give you the best training facilities and more individualised coaching but men’s football really tests a player, there is a lot more pressure and a lot more to play for.”
Clark also touched on the realities of adult football at Weymouth’s level, in comparison to the security of academy matches. “Men’s football teams are fighting to either stay up or fighting for promotion, whereas Academy is all about development. As a goalkeeper I much prefer men’s football as there is no better place to get game experience”.
With this in mind, it is worth observing that goalkeepers do tend to peak later in their careers. However, despite this, Clark says that he feels just as much pressure to be improve at the same rate as outfielders.
“Every day I am always trying to find ways how I can improve my game and ensure it’s my name in the starting eleven. To do this I understand the importance to work hard not just in training and the gym but also listening and taking advice to prove that I deserve another contract at the end of the season.”
Being awarded his first professional contract in the summer, Clark spoke about how difficult it can be to stand out as a goalkeeper in an academy, and praised going on loan as a key reason behind his summer deal.
“In the academy there are many goalkeepers which means little playing time. Going out on loan was my chance to show that I did deserve a contract.”
Impressing on a temporary stay with Bemerton Heath Harlequins, this gave Clark a platform to build from. “Men’s football was perfect for me as I was able to get experience playing in a very competitive environment and I was also able to build on my strengths and weaknesses to make me a better ‘keeper. I showed consistency and determination and when the opportunity came to step up and play for Weymouth I had no hesitation that I would be just as committed.”
