Clitheroe shocks fans with a ‘huge signing’ of ex-Premier League and EFL player Marc Pugh until the end of the 2022/23 season.
The 35 year old returns to football, with his new club sitting 5th in the Northern Premier League – West Division, a division Macclesfield are on course to win.
Clitheroe are hoping to claim a playoff place, taking 49 points from 32 games played, but a number of clubs just below them are also hoping to get there before them come the end of the season.
Marc Pugh, who could be the man to help Clitheroe out here, these days has become an online health coach. A PT & nutrition advisor specialising in athletic performance.
✍️ Blues add Premier League firepower for promotion push 📈Huge signing for the Blues. @afcbournemouth https://t.co/aRqYiGBLbS pic.twitter.com/1xSYErKfMu
— Clitheroe FC (@ClitheroeFC) March 20, 2023
CLUB STATEMENT:
Ex Bournemouth, Hull City FC and Shrewsbury attacking midfielder joins Clitheroe F.C for the remainder of the season. Marc Pugh has made over 300 appearances for Bournemouth, helping them to promotion to the Premier League under Eddie Howe. Going on to make 67 appearances in the top tier of English Football.
Dave Dempsey via the club website: “To bring in a player of Marc’s calibre is testament to everything we are trying to do at this football club. Marc will add an abundance of quality to the group, a vast amount of experience and will hopefully be able to give us that extra bit of quality to see games off for the run in of the season.
After speaking with Marc I feel his sense of passion for the game and his hunger to achieve something this season for his local community alongside his brother Lee.
It goes without saying I am over the moon to add Marc to the group it’s a really exciting signing for the football club and one I’m sure the fans will get behind too!
When available Marc will come straight in to the matchday!
Welcome to Shawbridge ⚽️
Marc Pugh wrote via his Twitter account: “Delighted to be given the opportunity to help out my local town and club in their final push for the playoffs 🙌🏼 @ClitheroeFC have kindly offered to make a generous donation to a local charity on my behalf in lieu of wages ❤️ Can’t wait to get started 👊🏼 ⚽️”
MARC PUGH’S CAREER:
2004–2006 – Burnley
2005 → Kidderminster Harriers (loan)
2006 → Kidderminster Harriers (loan) (0)
2006–2007 – Bury
2007–2009 – Shrewsbury Town
2008 → Luton Town (loan)
2009 → Hereford United (loan)
2009–2010 – Hereford United
2010–2019 – AFC Bournemouth
2019 → Hull City (loan)
2019–2020 – Queens Park Rangers
2020–2021 – Shrewsbury Town
Marc is a winger and attacking midfielder, starting his career at Burnley where he was able to progress through the youth system.
After making his debut on loan at Kidderminster Harriers, he was released by the club. He also signed a short-term contract in 2006 with Bury.
Pugh signed then a professional contract with the club, and after rejecting an extension contract in 2007, he signed for Shrewsbury Town.
He was temporarily loaned to Luton Town, Hereford United and joined the latter in 2009.
After one season at Hereford, Pugh signed for Bournemouth in 2010. He was the top scorer in both of his first two seasons.
Since then, he has made more than 300 appearances for the club. He helped them win promotion to both the Championship and the Premier League in 2013.
Pugh has thus played and scored in all five England’s national football divisions.
After spending a time on loan with Hull City he was released in 2019 by Bournemouth before joining Queens Park Rangers.
Pugh primarily plays as a winger but can also play as an attacking midfielder, and has previously been noted for his dribbling skills and his ability to get past opposition players. In February 2015 was praised by manager Eddie Howe for adding “real intelligence with his movement”.
Pugh launched The Footie Footballer Instagram page in September 2019 to help people with nutrition. “I was really intrigued by nutrition,” Pugh told Mirror Football in March 2022.
“When I was a little bit younger, I never got given the information that I know now. It was when we got promoted to the Championship with Bournemouth that I thought, ‘How can I gain that extra edge to my performances, to my recovery.’
“I started to study it [nutrition] at the age of about 26 and I just grew to love it – I learnt so much – and then I did a qualification. Since then, I’ve done another qualification in athletic performance and weight management.
“I’ve learnt so much about nutrition and the affects it has on the body, not just for performance and recovery but for all health and wellbeing. I’ve always said, ‘A healthy athlete makes a good athlete.’ I just became so passionate about it.
“When I signed for QPR, I decided to set up The Foodie Footballer Instagram page and post nice, bright food that will have a positive impact on people’s health and performance… and it just went from there, really.”
On the importance of nutrition in professional football, Pugh adds: “It’s becoming more and more important now. A lot more athletes are taking it seriously, whereas back in the day you could get away with eating the wrong things.
“But, as you see in the Premier League especially, these days it [the game] is so intense, so quick. And there are that many games – you’ve got to recover properly.”
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This is what fans said as Clitheroe shocks fans with a ‘statement signing’ of the ex-Premier League and EFL player…
@Pughie11: 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
@GuiseleyFans: What the fuck 😂😂😂
@jacobmiddt: Oh my
@RHVlogs_: Wow! That is a HUGE signing! 🤯👏🏻
@TopsideFanatics: Welcome to Shawbridge @MarcPugh7!!! Superb signing this!
@footy_nw: Wow
@djbowers14: Some signing this 👏👏
@PalmerWould: The new Pitman?
@BFCGB1983: Great signing 👏🏻
@HGTxBournemouth: You are lucky to have him, amazing player and person ❤️🖤
@Joe_1648: what a signing
@GreedyReadie_90: Wow!
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