Footballer Fits: Ex-Argos worker creates global fanbase

Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram, pictured with Jordan, is one of many footballers who have worked with Footballer Fits

A 23-year-old who sets up fashion shoots with some the world's top footballers after spotting a gap in the market said he is "living the dream".

Jordan Clarke was working in Argos in Felixstowe, Suffolk, when he had the idea for Footballer Fits, a platform showing players' off-pitch culture.

He now jets around Europe and has 1.5m followers on TikTok.

"I can't get my head around it, especially living in Felixstowe, but the reach it has is insane," he said.

Three years ago, Mr Clarke would spend his downtime at work looking at the latest footballer outfits and sharing them on Instagram.

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"It was really born from that," he said.

"It started as a platform about footballers and their self-expression away from the pitch.

"A lot of platforms talk about them on the pitch but in terms of interest in fashion, music and culture, no one was really supporting players.

Jordan with Everton and Nigeria's Alex Iwobi

"In US sports, like basketball and NFL, there is a big culture around athlete lifestyle, so one thing I wanted to do was bring that over to football.

"I noticed the gap, so I built a platform to back these guys in their self-expression and push their culture forward a bit."

Initially, Mr Clarke would post photos he had seen on social media, but he now sets up his own fashion shoots and interviews with players.

He said he either pitches ideas to fashion brands with athletes on their books or tries to "hit up" footballers directly.

Having not been on a plane before May last year, he has since jetted to Italy to collaborate with Marcus Thuram from Inter Milan, and Moise Kean and Timothy Weah of Juventus.

Jordan Clarke has also worked with Barcelona's Ingrid Engen and Swedish player Fridolina Rolfo (pictured)

"I'm an introvert so I get nervous, then you meet these players who make you feel comfortable," he explained.

"Humble" Kean took the Footballer Fits team to a private restaurant in Turin, an experience he said went against the stereotype of footballers.

"He was unbelievable to work with, such a nice guy, he was confident and his outfits were just insane," he added.

He said his dream player to work with, as a Manchester United fan, was Jadon Sancho, while new Ipswich Town signing Omari Hutchinson had "got a bit of drip about him".

"The way we have positioned it, players seem to live it and interact it with [Footballer Fits] every day," added Mr Clarke.

"To build and push that culture forward is something I am most proud of."