Macclesfield have announced one of their players, Tom Clare, is leaving the club temporarily to go on Love Island.
The 6ft5 striker came through the youth ranks at Barnsley before heading into non-league and joined the Silkmen in June 2021. He helped the club - revived with Robbie Savage at the helm after the demise of Macclesfield Town - win the North West Counties Premier Division to earn promotion to the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.
He was the club's top goalscorer last season and penned a new deal until 2024 in the summer. However, Clare will now depart mid-season to enjoy some time in the sun as the hit TV show heads to South Africa for its latest winter instalment with new host Maya Jama.
Clare will enter the villa as one of the first bombshells and his club released a statement on Thursday (January 12) Clare their support. However, they insist he also remains part of their plans when he returns.
A Macclesfield FC statement read: “Macclesfield FC can confirm that the club have granted Tom Clare an extended period of leave in order to appear in this year’s Love Island competition.
“Tom approached us with the request a number of weeks ago and we were happy to show the same loyalty that he has to us since becoming one of our first-ever signings back in 2021.
“Despite the fact that we are disappointed to lose a player of Tom’s calibre for the foreseeable future, we also recognise the incredible opportunity that this represents for both him and his family on a personal level.
“Tom remains very much part of our plans here at the Leasing.com Stadium and has expressed his unwavering desire to return to the club after the show.
“We wish Tom every success and look forward to welcoming him back to the club in due course.”
Clare, 23, started his career at Barnsley and spent eleven years in the academy before leaving for Bradford City in the summer of 2018. He went on loan to Boston United and scored five goals in seven appearances to earn a permanent move in July 2019.
He then enjoyed a short stint at Bradford Park Avenue before signing for Buxton in July 2020 and moving to Pontefract Collieries before his move to Macclesfield in the summer of 2021.
He is far from the first footballer to head to the Love Island villa, whilst Jacques Talbot left behind a career in rugby league with Castleford Tigers to appear on the most recent series of the ITV show.
