Hubbry Logo
Zander ClarkZander ClarkMain
Open search
Zander Clark
Community hub
Zander Clark
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Zander Clark
Zander Clark
Zander Clark
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Alexander Clark (born 26 June 1992) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian and the Scotland national team.

Key Information

After playing youth football with Hamilton Academical and St Johnstone, Clark began his senior career in the 2011–12 season on loan at Elgin City. He also had two loan spells at Queen of the South before becoming a St Johnstone regular after making his debut for them in 2015. He was part of the St Johnstone side that won both domestic cups during the 2020–21 season. Clark left St Johnstone after the 2021–22 season and signed for Heart of Midlothian in September 2022.

Clark made his senior international debut for Scotland in October 2023, aged 31.

Early life

[edit]

Alexander Clark was born 26 June 1992 in Glasgow,[1] and raised in Clydebank.[2]

Club career

[edit]

St Johnstone

[edit]

Clark started his career in the youth sides at Hamilton Academical and then St Johnstone.[3] On 4 July 2011, Clark joined Elgin City on loan ahead of the 2011–12 season.[4]

On 17 October 2013, Clark signed for Queen of the South on loan until 1 January 2014.[5][6] He made his debut on 19 October 2013, in a 2–1 defeat against Dundee.[7] On 14 January 2014, the loan was extended until the end of the season.[8]

On 14 May 2014, Clark signed a new two-year contract with St Johnstone.[9] On 25 July 2014, Queen of the South announced that Clark had returned to the club on loan for the season.[10] Queens announced on 28 May 2015 that Clark was returning to St Johnstone.[11]

Clark made his first appearance for St Johnstone on 26 September 2015, coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Dundee United.[12] It was announced shortly afterwards that Clark had signed a new contract with St Johnstone, due to run until the summer of 2018.[13]

In July 2017 he was taken to hospital following a head injury in a friendly match against Sunderland.[14] He was released from hospital after being diagnosed with a concussion.[15]

Clark was suggested as a possible candidate for the Scotland international squad during the 2018–19 season, particularly when he kept five consecutive clean sheets in the autumn[16] and also after a good performance in a 2–0 home defeat against Celtic in early February.[17] Later in February 2019 he suffered a hamstring injury.[18]

During a Scottish Cup quarter-final against the Scottish champions Rangers in April 2021, Clark assisted in St Johnstone's 122nd-minute goal to take the game into a penalty shoot-out. Having come up the field for a corner, Clark flicked on Liam Craig's cross, and the ball was turned into the goal by Chris Kane.[19] In the shoot-out itself, Clark saved attempts from James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe as St Johnstone won 4–2 to progress to the semi-finals.[19] They went on to win the trophy, with Clark keeping a clean sheet in the final[20] (as he had in the League Cup Final three months earlier).[21]

Clark left St Johnstone in June 2022,[22] and was linked with transfers to Dundee United and English club Stoke City.[23]

Heart of Midlothian

[edit]

On 2 September 2022, Clark joined Scottish Premiership club Heart of Midlothian on a three-year contract.[24][25] He made his debut for the club on 24 December 2022, coming on as a substitute after Craig Gordon broke his leg.[26]

Clark himself was injured ahead of the 2023–24 season.[27][28] As of 12 October 2023, he had the highest save percentage in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023–24 season.[29]

Clark lost his first-team place in the 2024–25 season,[30] but in January 2025 signed a new contract with the club until 2027.[31][32]

International career

[edit]

Clark received his first call-up to the senior Scotland squad in August 2021 for games against Denmark, Moldova and Austria.[33][2] He earned his second call up in November 2021.[34] He pulled out of the Scotland squad in June 2022[35] as he was due to get married.[36]

Clarke was recalled to the Scotland squad in March 2023, as he played regularly for Hearts following an injury to Craig Gordon.[37] He made his international debut in a friendly against France on 17 October 2023, aged 31.[38][39][40]

He was called up to Scotland's provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[41]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of 30 August 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Scottish Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
St Johnstone 2011–12[42] Scottish Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2012–13[43] Scottish Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013–14[44] Scottish Premiership 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014–15[45] Scottish Premiership 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2015–16[46] Scottish Premiership 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
2016–17[47] Scottish Premiership 26 0 2 0 3 0 — 31 0
2017–18[48] Scottish Premiership 16 0 0 0 0 0 2[a] 0 18 0
2018–19[49] Scottish Premiership 33 0 2 0 6 0 — 42 0
2019–20[50] Scottish Premiership 29 0 3 0 2 0 — 34 0
2020–21[51] Scottish Premiership 27 0 4 0 7 0 0 0 38 0
2021–22[52] Scottish Premiership 32 0 1 0 3 0 6[b] 0 42 0
Total 170 0 12 0 21 0 8 0 211 0
Elgin City (loan) 2011–12[42] Scottish Third Division 33 0 3 0 1 0 4[c] 0 41 0
Queen of the South (loan) 2013–14[44] Scottish Championship 24 0 3 0 2 0 2[d] 0 31 0
Queen of the South (loan) 2014–15[45] Scottish Championship 33 0 1 0 2 0 3[e] 0 39 0
Heart of Midlothian 2022–23[53] Scottish Premiership 21 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 24 0
2023–24[54] Scottish Premiership 35 0 0 0 3 0 4[f] 0 42 0
2024–25[55] Scottish Premiership 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2025–26[56] Scottish Premiership 4 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 7 0
Total 63 0 3 0 6 0 4 0 76 0
Career total 323 0 22 0 31 0 21 0 397 0
  1. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, two in UEFA Europa Conference League, two in Scottish Premiership play-offs
  3. ^ Two appearances in Scottish Challenge Cup, two in Scottish Division play-offs
  4. ^ Appearances in Scottish Premiership play-offs
  5. ^ One appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup, two in Scottish Premiership play-offs
  6. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

[edit]

St Johnstone

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Zander Clark

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Zander Clark (born 26 June 1992) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Heart of Midlothian in the . Standing at 1.91 metres tall, Clark is known for his commanding presence in goal and has established himself as a key figure in Scottish football through consistent performances at club and international levels. Clark began his youth career at clubs including Celtic, Rangers, and Hamilton Academical before joining St Johnstone's academy in 2008, where he spent 11 years developing into a first-team regular. He made his senior debut for St Johnstone in 2011 and went on loan to Queen of the South from 2013 to 2015, gaining valuable experience in the with 72 appearances. Upon returning to St Johnstone, Clark became the club's primary goalkeeper, accumulating over 200 appearances in the and contributing to their competitive campaigns. In 2021, Clark achieved significant success with St Johnstone, winning both the and the Scottish FA Cup, marking the club's first domestic double in its history. He transferred of Midlothian on a free transfer in September 2022, initially as backup to , but quickly became the first-choice goalkeeper following Gordon's injury. At Hearts, Clark has made over 70 appearances, including notable saves in the that earned him the Save of the Season award, and signed a contract extension in January keeping him at the club until summer 2027. Despite a frustrating 2024–25 season marred by injury and limited starts, he has featured in four matches during the 2025–26 campaign, recording one clean sheet. On the international stage, Clark earned his first call-up to the national team in 2021 but made his debut in a 4–1 friendly loss to France on 17 October 2023, where he played the second half. He has since accumulated four caps, including full 90-minute appearances in qualifiers against Georgia (2–2 draw) and (3–3 draw) in 2023, and a friendly against on 3 June 2024, where he kept a clean sheet in a 0–2 win. He was recalled to the squad in 2025 for qualifiers.

Background

Early life

Zander Clark was born on 26 June 1992 in , , to Scottish parents. He grew up in , a working-class town in near , where he attended Clydebank High School and Braidfield High School.

Youth development

Zander Clark joined St Johnstone's youth in 2008 at the age of 16, having previously spent time in the youth systems at Celtic, Rangers, and Hamilton Academical. He progressed through the club's various age-group teams over the next three years, establishing himself as a promising within the academy setup. In May 2011, at the age of 18, Clark was offered his first professional contract with St Johnstone, marking the transition from youth player to full-time professional.

Club career

St Johnstone

Clark signed his first professional contract with St Johnstone in July 2011, marking the start of his senior career at the club where he had developed through the youth ranks. To gain first-team experience, he was loaned to Elgin City for the entire 2011–12 season in Scottish Second Division, where he featured regularly as the club's primary goalkeeper. After returning, Clark remained on the fringes of the St Johnstone first team until October 2013, when he joined Queen of the South on an initial one-month emergency loan in the ; this was extended until the end of the 2013–14 season, during which he established himself as the Doonhamers' number one. He returned for another full-season loan to Queen of the South in 2014–15, playing every league match and helping the team to a sixth-place finish while missing St Johnstone's historic victory over Dundee United, as he was ineligible due to his loan status. Upon his permanent return to St Johnstone in summer 2015, Clark made his competitive debut for the club on 26 September 2015, substituting in during a 2–1 Premiership win against Dundee United. He served as understudy to experienced goalkeeper over the next few seasons, making sporadic appearances in cup competitions and league matches while learning from the Northern Irish international, who departed for Rovers at the end of the 2017–18 season. With Mannus gone, Clark emerged as St Johnstone's undisputed first-choice from the 2018–19 campaign onward, signing contract extensions in 2017 and 2019 that secured his stay until 2022; during this period, he solidified his role, accumulating over 200 appearances for the Perth club across all competitions by the time of his departure. Clark's tenure peaked during the 2020–21 season, where he played a pivotal role in St Johnstone's unprecedented domestic cup double. In the semi-final against Rangers on 25 April 2021, he scored a dramatic headed equalizer in the 122nd minute to force extra time and then saved two penalties in the shootout, securing a 4–2 that propelled the Saints to the final. He started in the final against Hibernian on 22 May 2021 at , keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win to claim the trophy, with scoring the decisive goal and completing the club's first-ever major silverware double alongside their earlier triumph. His contract expired at the end of the 2021–22 season, leading to his free transfer departure from St Johnstone in June 2022 after 11 senior years, during which he became a club legend with 211 total appearances.

Heart of Midlothian

Zander Clark joined Heart of Midlothian on a free transfer on 2 September 2022, signing a three-year contract to serve as backup to veteran goalkeeper . His prior experience at St Johnstone, where he had established himself as a reliable performer in the , facilitated a smooth adaptation to the demands of . Clark began the 2022–23 season as backup but became first-choice following Gordon's severe double leg break on 24 December 2022 during a match against United, which sidelined the international for the remainder of the season; he made 18 Premiership appearances that campaign. Clark solidified his position through consistent performances in the 2023–24 campaign, recording 15 clean sheets in 35 appearances and contributing key shutouts in Hearts' Conference League group stage run, including against and Bodø/Glimt. The 2024–25 season proved frustrating for Clark, as a fully recovered Gordon reclaimed the starting spot, restricting him to second-choice duties and minimal starts. His game time was further curtailed by a foot sustained in April 2025, which impacted Hearts' goalkeeping depth amid a challenging campaign that saw the team struggle in the league standings. On 15 January 2025, despite these setbacks, Clark penned a two-year extension, securing his future at the club until the summer of 2027 and underscoring his commitment to the Jambos. Entering the 2025–26 season, Clark has focused on recovery from his prior injury while vying for the number one jersey against Ryan Fulton amid Craig Gordon's ongoing recovery from a injury; as of November 2025, he has made four appearances, recording one clean sheet, though expressed interest in an emergency loan that Hearts declined in favor of offering younger option Harry Stone.

International career

Youth internationals

Clark was called up to the Scotland U19 team in the 2010–11 season, featuring in qualifiers for the , where he gained valuable experience as a young . His progression continued with a move to the Scotland U21 squad in the 2012–13 season, during which he earned caps while on loan from St Johnstone. These high-pressure environments significantly contributed to his maturation ahead of senior professional football.

Senior appearances

Zander Clark received his first call-up to the senior squad in August 2021 for qualifying matches against , , and , though he did not feature in any of those games. He was recalled to the squad in March 2023 for Euro 2024 qualifiers but again remained unused. Clark earned his senior international debut on 17 October 2023, coming on as a substitute for at half-time during 's 4–1 defeat to France at the . Clark made his first start for Scotland on 16 November 2023 in a 2–2 draw away to Georgia in another Euro 2024 qualifier, where he played the full 90 minutes. Three days later, on 19 November 2023, he started in Scotland's 3–3 home UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying draw with Norway, contributing to a competitive performance in the fixture. His fourth cap came on 3 June 2024, starting and keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 friendly victory over Gibraltar in Portugal, marking Scotland's final preparation match before UEFA Euro 2024. These appearances—totaling four caps, including starts in key UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Norway—highlighted Clark's role as a reliable backup goalkeeper behind first-choice Angus Gunn. Despite being included in Scotland's squad and subsequent squads in 2024, Clark did not feature in any matches during the calendar year following his appearance, partly due to strong club form at Heart of that initially sustained his selection but ultimately saw him as an unused option amid competition from Gunn and others. This year-long gap in caps ended with his recall to the senior squad on 26 August 2025 for the opening 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying double-header against and . However, Clark remained an unused substitute in both September 2025 qualifiers, including the 0–2 away win over on 8 September. Clark was subsequently omitted from the Scotland squad announced on 30 September 2025 for October World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Belarus, with veteran preferred following his own injury recovery and return to Hearts. As of November 2025, Clark's senior international tally stands at four caps with one clean sheet, underscoring his position as a depth option for head coach in a competitive goalkeeping department.

Statistics and achievements

Career statistics

Zander Clark has made over 280 club appearances as a professional , primarily in Scottish competitions, with totals of 211 appearances for St Johnstone (251 goals conceded, 73 clean sheets) and 76 for Heart of Midlothian (92 goals conceded, 28 clean sheets) as of November 2025. His statistics reflect a consistent presence in the , supplemented by cup and European ties, though the 2024–25 season was limited by injury to just a handful of outings. Key metrics include a career save percentage hovering around 70–75% in league play during peak seasons, with notable shutouts in high-stakes matches like cup finals.

Club Statistics

St Johnstone (2011–2023)

Clark's time at St Johnstone spanned lower-tier loans early on before establishing himself as the first-choice from 2016 onward. Below is a breakdown of his Premiership appearances; cup and European games added approximately 40 additional outings, including 2 in the third qualifying round (2021) and 2 in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round (2021–22), where he conceded 8 goals without a clean sheet.
SeasonCompetitionAppearances (Starts)MinutesGoals ConcededClean Sheets
2015–166 (5)51742
2016–1726 (26)2,255299
2017–1816 (16)1,440234
2018–1934 (34)3,0604015
2019–2029 (29)2,610468
2020–2127 (27)2,430338
2021–2232 (32)2,8313610
Total (Premiership)170 (169)15,14321156
In cup competitions with St Johnstone, Clark featured in 30 Scottish Cup and League Cup matches across his tenure, recording 12 clean sheets and conceding 45 goals, highlighted by shutouts in the 2021 Scottish Cup and League Cup finals. European ties contributed 4 appearances (8 goals conceded, 0 clean sheets). Earlier loans included 34 League Two appearances for Elgin City (2011–12, 2013; 44 goals conceded, 9 clean sheets) and 57 Championship games for Queen of the South (2013–15; 59 goals conceded, 24 clean sheets).

Heart of Midlothian (2022–present)

Since joining Hearts in September 2022, Clark has been the primary , amassing around 50 appearances by November 2025 despite an injury-hit 2024–25 campaign that limited him to 10 total outings. He has participated in UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers (2023–24: 4 appearances, 5 goals conceded, 1 clean sheet).
SeasonCompetitionAppearances (Starts)MinutesGoals ConcededClean Sheets
2022–2321 (20)1,770275
2023–2435 (35)3,1503813
2024–253 (3)20132
2025–264 (4)36061
Total (Premiership)63 (62)5,4817421
Cup appearances for Hearts total 13 across and (2022–2025), with 7 clean sheets and 18 goals conceded; the 2025–26 saw 3 outings (2 goals conceded, 1 clean sheet). No further European starts beyond 2023–24 qualifiers as of 2025.

International Statistics

Clark earned his first senior cap in October 2023 at age 31, primarily as backup to and . As of 2025, he has 4 senior appearances (3 starts), 1 clean sheet, and 7 goals conceded, in matches against (substitute), Georgia, and , and a friendly against .
LevelAppearances (Starts)Clean SheetsNotes
Senior (2023–present)4 (3)1Debut as substitute vs. (UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier); full 90-minute appearances vs. Georgia and (UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers) and (friendly). No youth caps recorded in senior profiles.
Youth international appearances are limited, with no verified senior-level youth caps beyond U21 development squads (~5 non-competitive outings pre-2015).

Honours

Clark was part of the St Johnstone squad that achieved a historic domestic cup double in the 2020–21 season, winning both the and the . In the final on 28 February 2021, Clark started as in St Johnstone's 1–0 victory over Livingston at , securing the club's first-ever title. His contributions were pivotal in the Scottish Cup campaign, culminating in the final on 22 May 2021, where he started in goal during St Johnstone's 1–0 win against Hibernian, marking the club's second triumph and completing the double—a first in their history. Clark's performances throughout the tournament, including heroic saves in the quarter-final against Rangers, were instrumental in this career-defining achievement. As of November 2025, Clark has not won any further major honours with Heart of Midlothian, including no titles or international trophies.

References

  1. https://www.espn.co.uk/football/player/bio/_/id/135183/zander-clark
  2. https://www.transfermarkt.us/zander-clark/profil/spieler/98067
  3. https://www.heartsfc.co.uk/pages/zander-clark
  4. https://www.fotmob.com/players/172489/zander-clark
  5. https://www.footballdatabase.eu/en/player/details/142764-zander-clark
  6. https://www.transfermarkt.us/zander-clark/nationalmannschaft/spieler/98067
  7. https://www.heartsstandard.co.uk/news/25414671.hearts-goalkeeper-zander-clark-recalled-scotland-squad/
  8. https://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/19569394.john-paul-mcginn-clydebanks-footballing-heroes-star-austria/
  9. https://www.skysports.com/football/player/19623/zander-clark
  10. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39371043
  11. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/late-wonder-save-rounds-goalkeeper-23256152
  12. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/13415123
  13. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34473153
  14. https://spfl.co.uk/news/elgin-bring-in-goalkeeper
  15. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/zander-on-loan-2721009.amp
  16. https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/st-johnstones-zander-clark-gets-his-chance-on-big-stage-at-last-t2s5ft6ls
  17. https://www.smallcitybigpersonality.co.uk/Zander-Clark-St-Johnstone-Goalkeeper-Perth-Scotland
  18. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43802383
  19. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49297037
  20. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56789585
  21. https://www.espn.co.uk/football/match/_/gameId/602615/hibernian-st-johnstone
  22. https://www.transfermarkt.us/zander-clark/leistungsdaten/spieler/98067
  23. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/62771902
  24. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64096288
  25. https://www.transfermarkt.us/zander-clark/leistungsdaten/spieler/98067/saison/2022
  26. https://www.fotmob.com/leagues/64/stats/season/21119/players/clean_sheet/premiership-players
  27. https://www.heartsstandard.co.uk/news/25285323.zander-clark-signed-hearts-deal-no-1-battle/
  28. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLVNi1ks0lZ/
  29. https://www.heartsfc.co.uk/blogs/news/zander-commits-future-to-hearts
  30. https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c2kp9xk79v4o
  31. https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cx2r65p62lwo
  32. https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/players/?pid=601758&lid=1
  33. https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/match/2035--france-vs-scotland/lineups/
  34. https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/gauld-and-doak-named-in-first-scotland-squad-for-uefa-nations-league-top-tier-campaign/
  35. https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2025/sep/08/belarus-v-scotland-world-cup-2026-qualifying-group-c-live
  36. https://fbref.com/en/players/d7fc839a/Zander-Clark
  37. https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c62zrwz896yo
  38. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/feb/28/livingston-st-johnstone-scottish-league-cup-final-match-report
  39. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/st-johnstone-complete-double-winning-24163690
  40. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/57125203
  41. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56880509
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.