Huddersfield Town to sign Peter Clarke from Southend United

Jun 13 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TOWN have confirmed they are to sign Southend centre-back Peter Clarke on a three-year contract.

And the 27-year-old says he’ll be scouring the list for next season’s League I trip to Roots Hall when the Football League fixtures are released on Wednesday morning (10.00).

Clarke has had a happy three years in Essex, forging a reputation as a reliable defender and landing Southend’s supporters’ and players’ player of the season awards for 2008-09.

But personal circumstances mean the Southport-born former Everton and Blackpool man is keen to return to the North.

“My wife’s dad isn’t too well at the moment. He’s having treatment and moving back to nearer where we’re from will enable her to see him a lot more,” explained Clarke.

“The length of the contract at Huddersfield also gives us some security which is important as I have my little girl to think about now.”

Clarke, who played 150 times for Southend after a £300,000 switch from Blackpool in 2006, added: “It will be weird playing against them and coming up against so many familiar faces.

“I’ve got some fantastic memories of the place, and I had a great relationship with the manager Steve Tilson, his assistant Paul Brush and the supporters.

“They really got behind us in games which weren’t going the way we would’ve liked and I hope I get a decent reception when I go back next season.