Sean Clare – Welcome to Wigan Athletic

Latics have swooped for our third free agent of the summer in the form of former Charlton and Oxford man Sean Clare. The 26-year-old is a Right Wing Back and adds much needed strength to what was the weak spot in our team. It’s an important role to fill and as free agent options go he’s a really solid pickup for us.

Clare is a versatile player who could definitely operate in midfield if needs be, another reason I think this is a really smart signing, but I expect him to be our starting RWB next season. He’s a good runner, powerful and quick which when partnered with his 6’2″ frame makes him very hard to stop when he’s going down the wing. He looks good on the ball too and offers a goal threat considering he started his career as a striker!

At 26 he’s in the prime years of his career and could be around for a good few years to come. There’s been some talk about a lack of experience in our squad so adding someone with over 200 senior appearances to his name should go some way to fixing that too which is nice. It’s another player that fits into that ideal 22-27 age range when it comes to recruitment so no complaints from me!

What does he bring to the side?

Firstly, and probably most importantly, he brings an option at RWB. It’s an area we were weak in and it’s a very impressive solution to our main problem. He’s someone with plenty of experience at the level and his versatility makes him a great player to have in any matchday squad. CM, RWB or even CB if needed, Sean Clare can contribute in all three positions.

Not every signing has to be completely glamorous. Clare is someone that plenty of clubs in League One have looked at, and he was linked with a move to QPR very early in the window which suggests he’s highly thought of. Will it get everyone as excited as Matt Smith’s arrival or the loan move for Liam Morrison/ maybe not, but signings like this are imperative when building a complete squad capable of high levels of competition.

When discussing the ideal profile for a WB in our side I said I was looking for “pace and dynamism out wide, players who can beat a man and get us up the pitch but also willing to get back and make up the back 5 when out of possession.” Clare gives us all of these things. He’s a very hard working player, has a good set of physical attributes and is capable of beating his marker in 1v1s.

His heights is such a big asset in my opinion. When you consider he’s still very mobile the fact we’ve added somebody 6’2″ in a position that is stereotypically left for smaller players means we gain a lot in both boxes at set pieces. It also gives us the option to use him as a late runner into the box for a deep cross towards the back post. I think that’s something we could really utilise, sort of like this graphic below.

He’s not the best crosser of the ball and I do worry this could limit how we use him in possession but it’s a skill that can be worked on. Given the quality of delivery from our LWB options I feel that could be the side we rely on for our wide delivery. Clare will be much more suited to providing pullbacks from the byline or incisive passes from out to in than he is to crossing.

There are a few areas of his game that need improving from a creative standpoint but defensively he’s pretty impressive. The data suggests he was one of the best WBs from a defensive point of view last season but unlike someone like Ryan Nyambe he partners that solidity with some genuine talent going forward.

Is he good enough to play the role of first choice RWB? I would suggest probably yes he is. It goes without saying that we need another RWB option to provide him with competition but Sean Clare has all the attributes of a top League One wing back. Latics fans can expect work rate, physical dominance against the majority of wingers and full backs and a nice technical skillset.

Where might he play?

Clare has a lot of valuable, and also relatively rare, traits for a WB and I think it’s important to use them. He’s a quality 1v1 dribbler and a quality 1v1 defender so that shows the position is almost tailor-made for him. His height gives us a valuable defender at the back post as well as a dangerous attacker up the other end. I like the variety that he offers.

I’m sure we’ll see him in midfield at some point too, assuming another RWB option is available. I’d see him being used in a similar way to how Tom Naylor was in that position, a tall defensive option to sit in front of the centre backs and screen. His positional awareness is decent but not where I’d probably like it to be so that’s another part of his game that’s needing of development. At 26 though there’s plenty of time for that.

Final Thoughts

It’s another good signing for the Tics, folks! I’d be lying if I said he was an option I’d given much consideration prior to the move being made but upon researching and watching him more closely I’m very happy. There aren’t many better options that we could realistically recruit for that position and on a free transfer it’s a no brainer.

Stylistically I’m interested to see how he fits in and how he develops under Maloney. I think he’s got a lot of the attributes I wanted from our RWB and if he tightens up a few weaker areas of his game we’ll have one of the divisions better WBs. It didn’t quite happen for him at Charlton but that shouldn’t mean he can’t work here. Unfound potential in players is exciting.

As I’ve mentioned already he’s a pretty experienced player and adds a lot of personality to our dressing room, or so his interviews suggest! I think it’s important not to set expectations too high with this signing because he’s not necessarily going to be a standout like I’m hoping Matt Smith to be, but Latics fans should be delighted that the club continues to make smart recruitment decisions and are filling holes in the squad with quality options who provide short and long term qualities. Another tick from me!

Welcome to Wigan Athletic, Sean Clare!