Former footballer, now pundit Clarke Carlisle fighting for life after accident

Former Premier League footballer and now ITV Sport pundit Clarke Carlisle is fighting for his life after being hit by a lorry on the A64 this morning.

The accident took place near Bishopthorpe in North Yorkshire at 7.30am. The road was closed for an air ambulance to take the former Leeds, Burnley and QPR defender to the Leeds General infirmary. The details of the accident remain unclear.

Carlisle was formerly the chairman of the PFA and has appeared and won on Countdown as well as featuring as a panelist on Question Time. Since finishing his playing career Carlisle has appared as a pundit and co-commentator primarily on ITV’s football coverage of the Europa League and World Cup in Brazil. He has also written an autobiography ‘You don’t know me, but… A footballer’s life’, in which he wrote powerfully about a suicide attempt after suffering a career threatening injury in his playing days. He also presented a BBC documentary called ‘Football’s Suicide Secrets’ and has been open about his own battles with depression.

Carlisle is married with three children and pools of support have flooded in this evening – with ‘Clarke Carlisle’ trending #1 in the UK and Worldwide on twitter.

Three days before christmas been a dark day in the UK with the news from the bin lorry crash in Glasgow also.

BBC Sport presenter Gabby Logan tweeted: “Thoughts tonight with Clarke Carlisle and with Glasgow. What terrible news.”

Oliver Kay from The Times: “Shaken by the news about Clarke Carlisle fighting for his life. Thoughts are with Clarke and his family. Lovely guy, lovely family.”

Carlisle’s former team-mate Neil Mellor: “A great lad to share a dressing room and pitch with big Clarke Carlisle. A real fighter on and off the pitch. Thoughts for him and family”