Love Island: Macclesfield striker Tom Clare joins ITV2 show's cast

Tom Clare helped Macclesfield win promotion from the North West Counties League last season

Macclesfield striker Tom Clare has become the latest sportsperson to swap the pitch for the Love Island villa.

The 23-year-old has been given an extended period of leave by the non-league side to participate in the ITV2 reality show.

Clare, who came through the academy at Barnsley and also had a spell with Bradford City, scored 23 goals for the non-league side in 2021-22.

The cast of last summer's show included Castleford Tigers player Jacques O'Neill and Halifax Town forward Jamie Allen.

Reacting to Clare's January transfer, the Silkmen said in a statement: "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 and has expressed his unwavering desire to return to the club after the show."

Clare will hope he can become the second non-league footballer to win the winter version of the show, which is filmed in South Africa, after Oxford City's Finley Tapp won the inaugural series with Paige Turley. Although, unlike Clare, Tapp failed to actually tell his club he was going on the show.

However Clare does in the show it seems unlikely that Macclesfield co-owner and director of football Robbie Savage will let him live it down when he returns to the club.

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