Leighton Clarkson

Leighton Clarkson made his Liverpool debut in the Champions League. It came against FC Midtjylland in December 2020, and it was the biggest of his three senior appearances for the club. An academy graduate, he had signed his first professional contract in 2019. That was the season Liverpool won the FA Youth Cup with him in the side.

Another early appearance came in the FA Cup in February 2020, when Liverpool fielded the youngest side in their history in the competition. They beat Shrewsbury Town 1-0.

Liverpool did not make room for him in the first team, so he went out on loan. A spell at Blackburn Rovers brought seven league appearances between August 2021 and January 2022. He grew up in nearby Clitheroe.

He joined Aberdeen on loan in June 2022 and played 34 league games in the year that followed, scoring five goals. His Aberdeen debut came with a goal against St Mirren. The club made the move permanent in June 2023.

In the 2024–25 season he won the Scottish Cup. He was also named in the Sky Sports Scottish Premiership Team of the Week after a 3-1 win over Rangers.

In February 2026 he moved to Blackpool on a two-and-a-half-year deal. By May he had played 13 league games for the club. He has not yet won a senior international cap.