Allan Clarke cemented his immortality in the hearts of Leeds fans when he threw himself at a Mick Jones cross in the 1972 FA Cup final. In the grand old competition's centenary year, Clarke took flight on the edge of the box to send a spectacular diving header into the corner of the net and win the trophy for Leeds against holders Arsenal.
It is a goal Clarke will always be remembered for, an iconic image in the rich history of Leeds United Football Club. In the same year that Leeds narrowly missed out on the title that goal was vitally important to the Elland Road club. But it was far from the only important goal Clarke scored in the famous white shirt.
Nicknamed "Sniffer" for his uncanny ability to sniff out and convert goalscoring opportunities, Clarke was the deadly assassin in Don Revie's revered team of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The year before his Cup final winner Clarke scored in the Fairs Cup victory over Juventus.
In United's incredible title-winning season of 1973-74 Clarke was the club's top scorer as Leeds started the season with an incredible run of 29 games unbeaten. He was again at the heart of the action when Leeds reached the European Cup final in 1975. United went down 2-0 to Bayern Munich in Barcelona but at a huge turning point in the game Clarke was denied a penalty after being felled in the box by Franz Beckenbauer.
Clarke made 273 appearances for Leeds before a knee injury put an end to his career after 11 years at Elland Road. During that time he scored an incredible 110 goals and played a crucial part in what was the club's golden era. He began his career with Walsall, making his debut for the Saddlers at the age of just 16. His impressive goal-every-other-game scoring record alerted Fulham, who signed him in 1966.
After two more 20-goal seasons Leicester City paid £150,000 for the precocious 22-year-old. Clarke starred in the 1969 FA Cup final despite being on the losing side and Revie had seen enough to offer £165,000 for the striker. It did not take long for Clarke to prove he was worth that fee. He scored in his Leeds debut against Tottenham and never looked back.
On the international front, Clarke earned himself a place in England's 1970 World Cup squad despite being uncapped at the time. He won his first cap in the first round game with Czechoslovakia and scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot. He played 19 times for his country over the course of his career, scoring ten goals. After retirement he went into management and took charge of Barnsley and Scunthorpe as well as his beloved Leeds United.