Shortly after he joined Shamrock Rovers where he spent 12 seasons as a defender.
However, he joined Rovers as a striker and scored a hat-trick in one of his first games for the club.
He played nine times for the League of Ireland XI while at Glenmalure Park.
He won his one and only senior cap for Ireland on 10 May 1950 in a 5–1 defeat to Belgium in Brussels.
In the 1950–51 season Clarke was awarded a testimonial for his twelve years service at Milltown.