Clayton Ince
Encyclopedia
Clayton Ince is a Trinidadian
football
goalkeeper who had lengthy spells in the English Football League at Crewe Alexandra
and Walsall
. He is his country's most capped goalkeeper with 79 caps for Trinidad and Tobago
to date, his debut coming on April 4, 1997 against Barbados
(the game ended in a 1-0 defeat for Trinidad and Tobago).
. Somewhat unusually, he began his footballing career as a defender before converting to become a goalkeeper. He played in goal when Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Portugal
, although the tournament did not go too well for him (he conceded a total of 12 goals in his nation's three group matches).
Ince began his playing career with the Chaguaramas-based club Defence Force, where he quickly established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the Caribbean
. In 1997 he was named as the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation
's Player of the Year, he has also twice been named as the Best Goalkeeper at the bi-annual Caribbean Cup
.
In 1999 he went on trial to the Welsh
club Wrexham (who play in the English Football League). Although he played well whilst on trial, the club could not afford to offer him a contract. However, in September of the same year he was offered a contract by Crewe Alexandra
, which was accepted by Ince.
Ince spent most of his first two seasons at Crewe as understudy to Jason Kearton
, the exception being a one-month loan spell at Dundee
, during which time he did not actually play. After returning to Crewe in November 2000 he was placed on the transfer list, the only club who actively tried to sign him was Wrexham, whose bid failed due to a lack of funds. He was removed from the transfer list in the summer of 2001 when Kearton left the club, Ince went on to establish himself as Crewe's first-choice goalkeeper during the 2000-01
season.
After playing in over 200 games for the club, Ince left Crewe in the summer of 2005 following the expiry of his contract. He signed for fellow Championship side Coventry City
on a Bosman
transfer. He failed to establish himself as a first-choice with the club, serving as understudy to successive loan signings Stephen Bywater
and Márton Fülöp
.
Following Trinidad and Tobago's qualification for the 2006 World Cup, Ince made it publicly known that he wanted to leave Coventry on loan in order to play first-team football. He has stated that without this his place in the Trinidad and Tobago squad for the tournament would be jeopardised; although he was no longer his country's first choice goalkeeper, the tournament perhaps represented his last realistic chance of appearing at the World Cup.
In July 2006, Ince signed for Walsall following a successful trial spell. Ince received a 10 day ban from FIFA in October 2006 after Walsall withdrew him from the Trinidad & Tobago squad without permission. He became Walsall's first choice goalkeeper and received the League One player of the Month award in November. In an interview with Walsall's official website, Ince stated that he saw the move to Walsall as the springboard to win further international caps, and had indeed regained his spot as Trinidad and Tobago's first-choice goalkeeper following the retirement of Shaka Hislop
and the unavailability of injury-prone Kelvin Jack
, who were ahead of him in the pecking order at the World Cup. But following Trinidad & Tobago's failure to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, Ince had since been considering retiring from international football, stating that it wouldn't be practical to continue playing friendlies and that he wouldn't realistically be around for the 2014 campaign.
Ince was named in the PFA League Two
Team of the Year for the 2006-07
season, and also named Walsall's Player of the Season for the 2008-09 season. Ince had become a favourite with the Walsall fans for his numerous displays that have saved the team from losing.
On 6 May 2010, Ince had formally announced his retirement from professional football and also stated his intention to return to Trinidad to work with younger goalkeepers, but returned to professional football with Trinidadian outfit Ma Pau SC
and even spoke about a possible return to International football with Trinidad and Tobago. http://www.socawarriors.net/mens-senior-team/7809-ince-keeping-options-open.html
After a successful stint with Ma Pau as Player/Assistant Coach where he won the Toyota Classic and was named Player of the Tournament, Ince signed a two-year deal with Pro League side T&TEC FC as Player/Goalkeeping coach. http://www.socawarriors.net/league/league-news/tt-pro-league/9142-tatec-puts-safety-between-the-polesince-signs-on-a-two-year-deal.html
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper who had lengthy spells in the English Football League at Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
and Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
. He is his country's most capped goalkeeper with 79 caps for Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago national football team
The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
to date, his debut coming on April 4, 1997 against Barbados
Barbados national football team
The Barbados national football team, nicknamed Bajan Pride, is the national association football team of Barbados and is controlled by the Barbados Football Association. It has never qualified for a major international tournament...
(the game ended in a 1-0 defeat for Trinidad and Tobago).
Life and career
Ince was born in ArimaArima
The Royal Borough of Arima is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located east of the capital, Port of Spain, Arima supports the only organised indigenous community in the country, the Santa Rosa Carib Community and is the seat of the Carib Queen...
. Somewhat unusually, he began his footballing career as a defender before converting to become a goalkeeper. He played in goal when Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, although the tournament did not go too well for him (he conceded a total of 12 goals in his nation's three group matches).
Ince began his playing career with the Chaguaramas-based club Defence Force, where he quickly established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. In 1997 he was named as the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation
Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation is the governing body of football in Trinidad and Tobago. It is based in Port of Spain, Trinidad. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional football and including the men's and women's national teams...
's Player of the Year, he has also twice been named as the Best Goalkeeper at the bi-annual Caribbean Cup
Caribbean Cup
The Caribbean Cup, formerly known as the Copa Caribe, is the championship tournament for national association football teams that are members of the Caribbean Football Union. The first competition was contested in 1989 in Barbados. The Caribbean Cup also serves as a qualification tournament among...
.
In 1999 he went on trial to the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
club Wrexham (who play in the English Football League). Although he played well whilst on trial, the club could not afford to offer him a contract. However, in September of the same year he was offered a contract by Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, which was accepted by Ince.
Ince spent most of his first two seasons at Crewe as understudy to Jason Kearton
Jason Kearton
Jason Kearton is an Australian former professional football goalkeeper.-Career:He began his career in his native land, firstly with Coalstars and then with the Brisbane Lions...
, the exception being a one-month loan spell at Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
, during which time he did not actually play. After returning to Crewe in November 2000 he was placed on the transfer list, the only club who actively tried to sign him was Wrexham, whose bid failed due to a lack of funds. He was removed from the transfer list in the summer of 2001 when Kearton left the club, Ince went on to establish himself as Crewe's first-choice goalkeeper during the 2000-01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
season.
After playing in over 200 games for the club, Ince left Crewe in the summer of 2005 following the expiry of his contract. He signed for fellow Championship side Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on a Bosman
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
transfer. He failed to establish himself as a first-choice with the club, serving as understudy to successive loan signings Stephen Bywater
Stephen Bywater
Stephen Michael Bywater, is an English professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He has made appearances for seven clubs, most notably his current club Derby County, where he won the 2007 Championship Playoff final and West Ham United, where he spent eight seasons and made over 60...
and Márton Fülöp
Márton Fülöp
Márton Fülöp is a Hungarian footballer who plays for West Bromwich Albion as a goalkeeper. After playing in Hungary for MTK Budapest FC, BKV Előre SC and BFC Siófok, he signed for English club Tottenham Hotspur....
.
Following Trinidad and Tobago's qualification for the 2006 World Cup, Ince made it publicly known that he wanted to leave Coventry on loan in order to play first-team football. He has stated that without this his place in the Trinidad and Tobago squad for the tournament would be jeopardised; although he was no longer his country's first choice goalkeeper, the tournament perhaps represented his last realistic chance of appearing at the World Cup.
In July 2006, Ince signed for Walsall following a successful trial spell. Ince received a 10 day ban from FIFA in October 2006 after Walsall withdrew him from the Trinidad & Tobago squad without permission. He became Walsall's first choice goalkeeper and received the League One player of the Month award in November. In an interview with Walsall's official website, Ince stated that he saw the move to Walsall as the springboard to win further international caps, and had indeed regained his spot as Trinidad and Tobago's first-choice goalkeeper following the retirement of Shaka Hislop
Shaka Hislop
Neil Shaka Hislop, CM is a former professional football goalkeeper. The majority of his career was spent in the top division in England where he was a part of the Newcastle United team which finished second in the Premier League for two successive seasons under Kevin Keegan's first tenure...
and the unavailability of injury-prone Kelvin Jack
Kelvin Jack
Kelvin Kyron Jack is a Trinidadian football goalkeeper who currently plays for Maidstone United. He has earned 33 caps for Trinidad and Tobago since his international debut in 1997 and played for his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup....
, who were ahead of him in the pecking order at the World Cup. But following Trinidad & Tobago's failure to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, Ince had since been considering retiring from international football, stating that it wouldn't be practical to continue playing friendlies and that he wouldn't realistically be around for the 2014 campaign.
Ince was named in the PFA League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Team of the Year for the 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season, and also named Walsall's Player of the Season for the 2008-09 season. Ince had become a favourite with the Walsall fans for his numerous displays that have saved the team from losing.
On 6 May 2010, Ince had formally announced his retirement from professional football and also stated his intention to return to Trinidad to work with younger goalkeepers, but returned to professional football with Trinidadian outfit Ma Pau SC
Ma Pau SC
Ma Pau SC is a football club from Trinidad and Tobago currently playing in the Pro League.- Squad :...
and even spoke about a possible return to International football with Trinidad and Tobago. http://www.socawarriors.net/mens-senior-team/7809-ince-keeping-options-open.html
After a successful stint with Ma Pau as Player/Assistant Coach where he won the Toyota Classic and was named Player of the Tournament, Ince signed a two-year deal with Pro League side T&TEC FC as Player/Goalkeeping coach. http://www.socawarriors.net/league/league-news/tt-pro-league/9142-tatec-puts-safety-between-the-polesince-signs-on-a-two-year-deal.html