Player Profile

For the fourth time in twelve months Liverpool raided Southampton’s treasure-chest of talent to add full-back Nathaniel Clyne to its first-team squad. With Glen Johnson leaving and doubts about the ability of loanee Javier Manquillo to cope with the rigours of the English game it was no secret that right-back was one of the positions that needed strengthening as another new season drew closer.

Clyne was born in Stockwell in south London and his professional career began at nearby Crystal Palace where manager Neil Warnock had such faith in his ability that he gave the 17-year-old his debut in a home match against Barnsley in October 2008. Twenty-five more appearances in the Championship followed by the end of that season and another 96 over the next three seasons, in the first of which came his debut senior goal in a 4-2 win at Reading in December 2009. The men who succeeded Warnock as Palace manager (Paul Hart, George Burley and Dougie Freedman) knew that it would be hard to hold on to the player if the club could not match his ambitions and it was Freedman who negotiated the defender’s transfer to Southampton during the summer of 2012. Clyne went straight into the first team and only missed four Premier League matches in 2012/13, scoring his first goal at this level when Aston Villa went to the south coast in September. There were fewer appearances in 2013/14 but he did score his first cup goal in an exciting 4-3 home FA Cup win over Burnley. In 2014/15 he was again almost an ever-present and scored a terrific equaliser as Southampton were narrowly beaten 2-1 at Anfield on the season’s opening weekend. Representative honours were not far away. Having played for his country at both Under-19 and Under-21 level national team manager Roy Hodgson called him up into his squad for the Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia in the autumn of 2014 but he was only an unused substitute in both matches. A full debut eventually came in the same competition against Slovenia at Wembley when he played the whole 90 minutes in a 3-1 victory. At the time of his transfer to Liverpool, Clyne had played five times for England’s senior team.

More international caps and hopefully club honours are waiting for a young man who has worked really hard at his game and now has the opportunity to establish himself at one of the country’s biggest clubs. Although only in his mid-twenties he has already appeared in over two hundred English league matches and he could appear in the same number again or more for his new club if he can maintain his previous form and stay clear of injuries. He had a consistent first season at Anfield, starting 52 games in all competitions, more than any other outfield player, scoring twice. He was solid and reliable, rarely spectacular but at the same time making few mistakes, one notable one though being when he gave a penalty away at Old Trafford in the Europa League. He was a capable wing back but primarily a defender and after being called up to England's Euro 2016 squad hopes were high he could continue his progress in 2016/17. He was steady but not spectacular in that season, appearing in all bar one of the league games but failing to score. A hamstring injury though meant he missed much of pre-season and he failed to be ready in time for the start of the 2017-18 campaign. He then suffered a back problem meaning he didn't return to first team action until towards the end of the campaign, by which time Trent Alexander Arnold had made the right back spot his own. Clyne made only five appearances, three of them from the bench and he was an unused substitute in the Champions League final.

In 2018/19, Clyne was in only two of the first sixteen matchday squads, both as an unused substitute. However, with Trent Alexander Arnold, Joe Gomez and James Milner all unavailable he was selected to start against Manchester United on 16 December. A solid performance in this game earned him late substitute appearances in the next three fixtures, before he was loaned to Bournemouth for the rest of the season on 4 January 2019. He made fourteen starts and one sub appearance in his time there and was widely expected to leave during the 2019 summer transfer window, but a ligament injury sustained in pre-season scuppered the hopes of any deal. Although Clyne was nearing full fitness by the January 2020 no loan deals were forthcoming and the suspension of the season in March due to the Covid 19 pandemic put paid to any hopes of reserve team action.

On 25 June it was announced that he would not be retained and he was free to find another club. After a spell training with previous club Crystal Palace he agreed a short term deal with them on 14 October 2020. He had to be patient for his chance but started the last eleven games of the season and a contract extension was agreed keeping him at the club for 2021/22. Recognizing his value, Crystal Palace extended Clyne's contract in August 2021. Over the subsequent seasons, Clyne continued to be a reliable figure in the team's defense, contributing both in domestic league matches and cup competitions. In June 2025, Clyne signed another contract extension, ensuring his stay at Crystal Palace until June 2026. This extension marked a decade-long association with the club.