FORMER Middlesbrough defender Matt Clarke has signed a new contract with Derby County after initially only joining the club on a short-term deal.
Clarke left Boro in January to rejoin the Rams for a third spell but his initial deal only ran until the end of the season.
However, the plan was always for Clarke to then put pen to paper on an extended deal in the summer providing Derby stayed up, and he's now signed a three-year contract.
Clarke played 16 times in the second half of the season and established himself as a key figure as John Eustace led Derby to Championship safety. Clarke played every minute of Derby's last 10 games.
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Clarke played 50 games for Boro in a two-and-a-half year spell at the club, which included a nightmare 12-month spell on the sidelines with a back injury.
He returned at the end of 2023 and featured prominently in the second half of that season and first half of the most recent campaign. But as the former Brighton and West Brom defender neared the end of his contract, Boro sanctioned Clarke's exit in January.
Head coach Michael Carrick opted against replacing Clarke in January, which was a gamble that backfired as an injury crisis followed.
Dael Fry and George Edmundson both returned to action at the end of the season, while Darragh Lenihan was also an unused substitute for the final three games after his lengthy injury nightmare.
Despite the return of those players, Boro will prioritise the capture of a centre-back this summer as they look to address the defensive frailties that proved costly this term.
They're also targeting a right-back, with Anfernee Dijksteel's expected to leave when his contract expires.
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