VETERAN Tranmere defender Peter Clarke will leave Prenton Park after agreeing a move to fellow Sky Bet League Two side Walsall.

Clarke, 40, had been offered a new contract with Rovers in a player/coach role, but decided to move on in the interest of getting more game time.

Clarke has been a key figure in the Rovers defence since joining in January of 2020 and hasn’t missed a minute of league football in the last two seasons.

The experienced defender took on the captain’s armband during the 2020/21 season and was named in the EFL League Two Team of the Season for the 2021–22 campaign.

In total Clarke made 98 league appearances for Rovers and scored six goals.

Speaking to saddlers.co.uk, Clarke said he is looking forward to linking up with one-time former team-mate and now Walsall head coach, Michael Flynn, when the team return for pre-season training later this month.

“We had a brief spell playing together many, many moons ago and we have always kept in touch and we have respected each others careers from afar,” said Clarke.

“I had a call from him asking about my availability and having spoken to him and hearing how passionate and enthusiastic he was about one, bringing me into the club and secondly about what he wants to do and how he wants to move the club and the team forward, it was something that really, really appealed to myself.

“The initial conversation was not a long one but I think we both realised that we were thinking very much alike and were wanting to make the move happen as quickly and as smoothly as we possibly could.”

Clarke began his career at Everton and played 14 times for the Premier League club.

Flynn added: “Peter is a fantastic professional, he is a leader.

“I have known him a very very long time and I have never come across a bad word said about him.

“He epitomises everything of a true professional. He looks after himself, that is why he is still playing at the age of 40 and he will give us an unbelievable amount of leadership for the rest of the group.”