Chris Conn-Clarke: Why The Altrincham Star Is Too Good For The National League – Opinion

Chris Conn-Clarke has been one of the real stars for promotion hopefuls Altrincham FC after a brilliant season, but will he look to move on with such high potential?

The 22-year-old has a vast amount of experience at the highest level of youth football. With his impressive performances from a young age, he earned a scholarship at Burnley. After a couple of seasons with the Clarets, performing for both the under-18 and under-21 squads, he moved to Fleetwood Town but limited opportunities with the Cod Army left the youngster looking for loans.

He spent the 2022 calendar year with Altrincham proving his brilliance. This is exemplified by his 30 appearances and nine goals before a new loan. Looking to experience a new league, the Northern Irishman went to the League of Ireland, making 15 appearances with Waterford where he recorded four goal contributions.

After a great campaign, he finally joined the Robins for a club record fee for Altrincham. This shows how integral he is to Phil Parkinson’s system and the midfielder has once again proved himself this season.

Altrincham are in a tough patch, losing five of their last six matches. Before this, the Robins were sensational as they were fighting in the playoff places for much of the season. Their performances were way above expectations and a large part of this can be accredited to Conn-Clarkes’ creative displays.

Goal involvements have been at an all-time high for the playmaker, with 15 goals and three assists showing the effect of his captivating performances. These stats are peculiar for a player in his role but he has been given a great amount of freedom from Parkinson.

As a player, the former Burnley man primarily plays in the middle of the park. As a result of his small stature but technically brilliant dribbling and passing, comparisons are drawn with players like Bernardo Silva or Yunus Akgün. Like the other two, drifting to the wing and in and out of the channels are specialist traits of the Northern Irishman. Becoming a threat and adding goals have elevated the game of Altrincham’s star man.

His impressive form has even led to rumours of interest from the Championship. Throughout the January transfer window, links between Conn-Clarke and Swansea City emerged with some stating he had signed terms with a contact for up to 2026.

Writer’s View

Overall, Conn-Clarke has proved how good he is throughout the current season. Finishing and finding the killer pass have become prominent parts of his game. However, the Championship is a huge step up from the National League.

Defenders have much more quality and experience with many having played in the Premier League against some of the best attackers in the world. Therefore, would a move for the young midfielder be too soon? At a young age, the chance to enjoy his football is crucial and he loves his football at Altrincham. It will be intriguing to see if he moves this summer.

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