Jake Clarke-Salter

Clarke-Salter with Chelsea in 2016

Clarke-Salter first joined Chelsea in 2006 and spent the rest of his youth career there bar one season at Sutton United.[3] He made his under-18 breakthrough at Chelsea in December 2013 whilst still sixteen years old. He became a key figure and the under-18 captain in Chelsea's youth surge after winning the FA Youth Cup twice and the UEFA Youth League.[4] Clarke-Salter was included in Chelsea's pre-season tour of the US in 2015.[5] However, he failed to make a single appearance in Chelsea's disappointing campaign.

On 5 March 2016, Clarke-Salter appeared on Chelsea's substitutes' bench in a 1–1 draw with Stoke City.[6] On 2 April, he made his professional debut in Chelsea's 4–0 victory at Aston Villa, replacing Pedro in the 74th minute.[7] After the match John Terry praised his performance and attitude, and hoped that Clarke-Salter went on to replace him one day.[8]

On 31 August 2016, Clarke-Salter and teammate Charlie Colkett joined League One club Bristol Rovers on a season-long loan.[9] Unlike Colkett, Clarke-Salter did not join up with Rovers immediately, but remained at Chelsea while recovering from an injury sustained on international duty.[10]

Clarke-Salter made his debut on 28 September 2016, starting in a 1–0 defeat away to Sheffield United.[11] On his second appearance, on 18 October, he cut the ball back to provide the assist for the second goal of Matt Taylor's hat-trick as Rovers came back from 3–1 down to draw 3–3 with Milton Keynes Dons.[12] Four days later he scored his first goal for Rovers with an 87th-minute header to complete a 2–0 win over Oldham Athletic.[13] Clarke-Salter dislocated his elbow and broke a bone in his forearm during the 5–1 loss to Charlton Athletic in November and was out for nearly four months.[14] He made his return as an 89th-minute substitute against Southend United in March 2017,[15] but did not start a match until 11 April, in a 1–0 victory over AFC Wimbledon, and finished the season with just 13 appearances.[16][17]

Following a loan spell at Bristol Rovers, Clarke-Salter returned to Chelsea and signed a new four-year deal in July 2017.[18] He was given the number 35 jersey and made his first appearance of the 2017–18 season during Chelsea's 5–1 EFL Cup victory over Nottingham Forest.[19]

On 8 January 2018, Clarke-Salter joined Championship club Sunderland on loan for the remainder of the campaign.[20] Just under a week later, he made his debut during Sunderland's 4–0 away defeat against Cardiff City, playing the full 90 minutes.[21] On 24 February 2018, Clarke-Salter was shown a red card for what BBC Sport's reporter saw as a "nasty late challenge" on Middlesbrough's Adama Traoré in a match that ended as a 3–3 draw.[22] In his first game back from suspension, Clarke-Salter was dismissed again after receiving a second yellow card in a 2–0 defeat against Preston North End.[23] He finished the loan spell with nine appearances.[24]

On 2 July 2018, Clarke-Salter agreed to join Dutch side Vitesse on a season-long loan.[25]

Clarke-Salter signed for Championship club Birmingham City on 24 July 2019 on loan for the season.[26] He made his debut on 6 August in the EFL Cup first round visit to Portsmouth. Manager Pep Clotet fielded an inexperienced team, and Clarke-Salter played the whole of the 3–0 defeat.[27] He did not play in the Championship until 1 October, taking the place of the injured Marc Roberts in the starting eleven for the 1–0 defeat away to Wigan Athletic. According to the manager, "he played with a lot of maturity, he was very focused, he dealt very well with the physicality of the game and worked very well with Harlee [Dean] as well. He also covered the line very well. I think on the ball he was very good as well so it was a very positive game for him."[28] His performance was similarly positive in his next appearance a month later, when he replaced the suspended Dean for a 1–0 defeat at home to Fulham.[29] He scored his first goal for Birmingham in a 1–1 draw with Millwall on 30 November.[30]

On 16 October 2020, Clarke-Salter returned to Birmingham City on loan for the remainder of the season.[31] A calf injury kept him out until after the international break, and he made his debut on 24 November away to Luton Town as one of three centre-backs alongside Dean and Roberts.[32][33]