Police concerned for Clarke Carlisle after ex-footballer reported missing

Police have said they are growing increasingly concerned for the former footballer Clarke Carlisle after he was reported missing.

The ex-Burnley and Leeds player was last seen by his family in Preston on Thursday afternoon, Lancashire police said.

His wife, Carrie Carlisle, said he may have been in Manchester city centre on Friday morning, and she appealed for information about his whereabouts.

Carrie Carlisle
(@MrsCCforDD)

#Missing Clarke’s last known whereabouts was Manchester City Centre at 6am. If you see him please get in touch pic.twitter.com/0htiX72lyQ

September 15, 2017

Carlisle, 37, is a former chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association and made more than 500 appearances for nine clubs during his playing career from 1997 to 2013. He has a history of mental illness.

He told the Guardian last year about how he was attempting to turn his life around after he tried to kill himself in 2014 when he stepped in front of a lorry. He said he “should be dead” and felt blessed to have survived.

In a statement posted online last year, he said: “Two years ago today I jumped in front of a truck. One year today I was back in psychiatric hospital. Today I’m away with the love of my life.”

Carlisle was last seen wearing a black zip-up jacket, black T-shirt, blue jeans and Nike trainers, police said. He is 6ft 4ins, of slim build and has tattoos on his arms.

He was last seen on the Flag Market in Preston at about 2.30pm on Thursday.

DCI Steve Holgate, of Lancashire police, said: “We are extremely concerned about Clarke and we would urge anyone who sees him or knows where he is to get in touch with us. We would also appeal directly to Clarke himself to contact us if he sees this appeal to let us know he is safe.”

Carlisle founded a mental health charity, the Clarke Carlisle Foundation for Dual Diagnosis – a condition that has been described as “mental health problems co-occurring with drug or alcohol misuse”.

He is due to host a mental health awareness evening in Birmingham next week in memory of Nick Mowl, a former Solihull Moors player who killed himself this year.

  • In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.