Ray Clemence

Ray Clemence

Raymond Neal Clemence, MBE was an England international football goalkeeper and part of the Liverpool team of the 1970s. The last of his 665 appearances for the club was the victorious 1981 European Cup Final. He is one of only 29 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances.

About Ray Clemence in brief

Summary Ray ClemenceRaymond Neal Clemence, MBE was an England international football goalkeeper and part of the Liverpool team of the 1970s. The last of his 665 appearances for the club was the victorious 1981 European Cup Final. He is one of only 29 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances. He acted as head of the FA Development Team, overseeing the development made by players in the England youth teams from under-16 to 21 level. He was born in Skegness, Lincolnshire, and was signed by Scunthorpe United on his 17th birthday, 5 August 1965. He made his professional debut in a 1-1 draw at home to Swansea Town on 2 April 1966. After being scouted in 12 games by legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly and his coaching staff, he was signed for a fee of £18,000 on 24 June 1967. He went on to win three European Cups, five League titles, two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, an FA Cup and a League Cup with Liverpool. He also won the League Cup and the FA Cup with the club in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He has been awarded the MBE for his services to football and the game of football in the UK and abroad. He currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live and is a member of the Football Association’s England Academy coaching staff. He previously played for Notts County, but was ultimately not signed by the Meadow Lane club.

He played eight matches on trial for Nottingham County, before being offered a contract with Scunthype United. He spent the latter half of his debut season at the club under the guidance of caretaker player-manager Keith Burkinshaw, who would later also sign the player for Tottenham Hotspurs. He became the club’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper in their following 1966–67 Third Division campaign, in which they finished a disappointing 18th. During his time at the Club, he lived with Mrs Ruby Duce of King Edward Street, in the very same digs which would then immediately be occupied by Ray’s future England and Liverpool teammate Kevin Keegan following ClemENCE’s departure to Liverpool. In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, he said: ‘A club I’m proud to be associated with is Scunthin’ United. I was there it was like being part of a family.’ He was nurtured through the youth ranks at the Old Showground and was a key figure in the development of the club. In his final season at Scunthanpe, he made 46 consecutive starts and kept 12 clean sheets in all competitions. This run took him to 50 appearances and 12 clean sheet in all competition for the side.