Leighton Clarkson

Leighton Clarkson
Clarkson in 2019
Personal information
Full name Leighton Owen Clarkson[1][2]
Date of birth (2001-10-19) 19 October 2001[2]
Place of birth Blackburn, England[3]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[4]
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Blackpool
Number 7
Youth career
–2019 Liverpool
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2023 Liverpool 0 (0)
2021–2022 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 7 (0)
2022–2023 → Aberdeen (loan) 34 (5)
2023–2026 Aberdeen 83 (7)
2026– Blackpool 13 (0)
International career‡
2021–2022 England U20 5 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:02, 12 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 10:44, 30 March 2022 (UTC)

Leighton Owen Clarkson (born 19 October 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Blackpool.

Career

Clarkson made his professional debut for Liverpool on 17 December 2019, coming on as a substitute in a match at Aston Villa in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.[5]

He played in the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury Town, on 4 February 2020, which Liverpool won 1–0 with the youngest-ever side in their history.[6]

On 24 July 2020, Clarkson signed a long-term contract with Liverpool.[7]

Leighton was named in the starting eleven for a Champions League group stage game against Danish side FC Midtjylland on 9 December 2020.[8]

On 16 August 2021, it was announced that Clarkson would join hometown club Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan deal.[9] His loan was cut short in January 2022.[10]

Clarkson join Aberdeen on 15 June 2023, on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee. He scored on his Aberdeen debut in a 4–1 victory over St Mirren.[11]

He joined Blackpool on 2 February 2026, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract, with an option to extend[12]

International career

On 6 September 2021, Clarkson made his debut for the England U20s in a 6–1 victory over Romania U20s at St. George's Park.[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of end of 2025–26 season
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[14]
Club Season League National Cup[a] League Cup[b] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool 2019–20[15] Premier League 0010100 020
2020–21[16] Premier League 0000001[c]010
2021–22[17] Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022–23 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0010101030
Liverpool U21 2020–21[16] – – – 3[d] 1 3 1
Blackburn Rovers (loan) 2021–22[17] Championship 700000—70
Aberdeen (loan) 2022–23[18] Scottish Premiership 3451031—386
Aberdeen 2023–24[19] Scottish Premiership 36 3 4 0 4 1 5[e] 0 49 4
2024–25[20] Scottish Premiership 34 4 5 0 6 3 – 45 7
2025–26[21] Scottish Premiership 13 0 1 0 2 1 6[f] 0 22 1
Total 83 7 10 0 12 5 11 0 116 12
Blackpool 2025–26[21] League One 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
Career total 1371212016615118019
  1. ↑ Includes FA Cup, Scottish Cup
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup, Scottish League Cup
  3. ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  4. ↑ Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  5. ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Europa League and three appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  6. ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Europa League and four appearances in UEFA Conference League

Honours

Liverpool Academy

Aberdeen

References

  1. ↑ "Updated squad lists for 2022/23 Premier League". Premier League. 4 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 Leighton Clarkson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  3. ↑ "Leighton Clarkson". Liverpool. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  4. ↑ "Leighton Clarkson". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  5. ↑ Leighton Clarkson at Soccerway
  6. ↑ "Liverpool 1 Shrewsbury 0". BBC Sport. 4 February 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "Leighton Clarkson signs new long-term Liverpool contract". Liverpool FC. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  8. ↑ Carroll, James (9 December 2020). "Team news: Confirmed Liverpool line-up v Midtjylland". Liverpool FC. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  9. ↑ https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2021/august/Leighton-joins-on-loan-/, Leighton joins on loan, Blackburn Rovers FC, 16 August 2021
  10. ↑ Coates, Charlotte. "'It's hurting him' - Blackburn Rovers send midfielder back to Liverpool as loan cut short". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "Aberdeen FC - Clarkson Commits Future to AFC". Aberdeen FC. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  12. ↑ "Leighton Clarkson signs for the Pool". Blackpool FC. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  13. ↑ "Six at SGP for MU20s". EnglandFootball.com. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "AFC Heritage Trust - Leighton Clarkson". afcheritage.org. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "Leighton Clarkson | Football Stats | Blackpool | Season 2019/2020 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Leighton Clarkson | Football Stats | Blackpool | Season 2020/2021 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Leighton Clarkson | Football Stats | Blackpool | Season 2021/2022 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Leighton Clarkson | Football Stats | Blackpool | Season 2022/2023 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  19. ↑ "Leighton Clarkson | Football Stats | Blackpool | Season 2023/2024 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "Leighton Clarkson | Football Stats | Blackpool | Season 2024/2025 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Leighton Clarkson | Football Stats | Blackpool | Season 2025/2026 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  22. ↑ "LFC U23s beat Burnley to lift Lancashire FA Senior Cup". Liverpool F.C. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  23. ↑ Aberdeen 1-1 Celtic, Martin Dowden, BBC Sport, 24 May 2025
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