Perth Glory Football Club is excited to announce that 21-year-old Jack Clisby has signed a new, two-year deal with the club which will see him stay at the club until the end of the 2015-16 Hyundai A-League season.
Perth Glory Football Club is excited to announce that 21-year-old Jack Clisby has signed a new, two-year deal with the club which will see him stay at the club until the end of the 2015-16 Hyundai A-League season.
Clisby is the latest player to put pen to paper and is further good news for the Glory after recently securing fellow squad members, Danny Vukovic, Scott Jamieson, Brandon O-Neill, Sidnei Sciola Moraes and Michael Thwaite to contract extensions.
The talented Western Australian defender grew up playing for Sorrento before joining the NTC setup and finally being elevated from the Glory Youth team to a professional contract in January 2013.
Clisby was also awarded the 2012 McInerney Gold medal as the State’s best player in the Football West Premier league and said he was thrilled to sign a contract with the club he grew up supporting as a kid.
“I-m thrilled to have signed an extension. It-s been something I’ve really been pushing myself for. I love this club and to be on board for an extended two seasons is really exciting.”
The 180cm defender has become a first team regular this season and has started in four of five games this year. He has paired up with Thwaite in the middle of defence for the past four games and says their understanding of each other-s game is getting better with every outing.
“Every game, me and Thwaitey are getting more used to each other and he keeps me in place and I try to keep him in place if he is ever not doing what he-s meant to do. It-s good. I-m growing in confidence every game.”
“He-s a bit of a character. He certainly makes me know if I-m ever not doing the right thing, but he also gives good advice and is encouraging.”
The left-footer says it-s also great to being able to continue playing with other Western Australian footballers he has grown up with.
“We-re all a really tight bunch of lads. The likes of me and Rizzo (Josh Risdon), Cammy (Cameron Edwards), Brandon (Brandon O-Neill), Ryan (Ryan Edwards), we-ve all played at NTC level together, so we all know how each other plays, and to be playing here at this level together is brilliant.”
“You obviously need the older players as well for the young ones to learn off, which is what we-re doing, but that young group that we-ve got coming through is great, got great talent, and come a few years, with all the game experience that they can get is going to be a team to watch out for.”
Clisby is confident the club is heading in the right direction and says the appointment of Kenny Lowe and Andrew Ord has been brilliant around the change rooms.
“They-ve been top notch – they-ve been quality. Personally, I know them from before because they-ve been my coach, so I know what they-re like but they-ve come in and they-re exactly the same. They-re good, they-re talking to the players. It-s encouraging information and the boys are really taking note of what they-re saying.”
It-s also had a noticeable effect on the training pitch with fringe players taking advantage of a clean slate to try and work their way into the starting eleven.
“The intensity is certainly up there. They demand the best of us so it-s been really good.”
“It-s a new coach with new things to prove to the coach. Players are fighting for positions but I-m sure Kenny and Andy will give opportunities to those who work the hardest and those that want it the most.”
Clisby is set to line up for his fifth game in a row against the Central Coast Mariners on New Year-s Eve in Gosford as he continues to build on his Hyundai A-League career.
“For me, as a young defender, it-s harder to get in the team with the likes of Thwaite and Gallas and all these types of players, but I-m looking at making myself a regular first team player. That-s what I would like to do the most and get a lot more regular A-League games under my belt.”
