Birthplace: Preston

Clarke Carlisle signed a new two-year deal with the Clarets at the end of the 2009/10 season.

The powerful central defender had ended the campaign on the sidelines with an ankle injury after being a regular starter throughout the opening two thirds of Burnley's top-flight bid.

He passed 100 league starts for the club after signing from Watford in August, 2007 for a modest £200,000 fee.

However, with one year left on his current deal, he started the 2011/12 campaign by signing a season-long loan at Preston North End.

Preston-born Carlisle had previous spells with Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers after starting his career with Blackpool.

The former England under-21 international has promotions on his CV with both Leeds and Watford and made it a hat-trick when he played a pivotal role in Burnley's 2008/09 Championship success.

An outstanding ambassador for the Clarets and a supporter of several charitable causes, another highlight of Carlisle's Premier League season at Turf Moor was his successful appearance on Channel Four quiz Countdown.

Also a popular media pundit and contributor, the cerebral centre-back has much to look forward to on and off the field as his career progresses further.

Clarke was named the new chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association on the 17^th November.

Following an appearance on Channel Four Quiz Countdown in 2009, Clarke was asked to be a guest on the BBC Question Time panel the following year.

The defender was the first ever footballer to be on the show, and Clarke was hugely successful on the political debate programme.  

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