Zach Clough

Zach Clough
Born	(1995-03-08) March 8, 1995 Denton, Greater Manchester, England
Occupation	Professional footballer
Years active	2013–present
Known for	Playing as attacking midfielder or winger for Selangor and previous clubs including Bolton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, Adelaide United

Zach Paul John Clough (born 8 March 1995) is an English professional football player who operates primarily as an attacking midfielder or winger and currently represents Malaysia Super League side Selangor.

Clough’s football journey began at Bolton Wanderers, where he entered the youth academy at the age of eight. He established himself as a consistent goal scorer during his time there, featuring in 68 matches before making a move to Nottingham Forest. After a loan return to Bolton and stints with several other English clubs, Clough signed with A-League Men team Adelaide United in February 2022.

Early life

Clough was born and grew up in Denton, Greater Manchester. He attended Audenshaw School, where he was part of the team that secured the U14 Premier League Cup at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium by defeating Forest School 2–1.

Bolton Wanderers

Clough advanced through the ranks of the Bolton Wanderers academy from the age of eight and inked his first professional contract in April 2013. At 19 years old, he made his senior debut on 3 January 2015, netting the decisive goal in a 1–0 FA Cup third-round home victory over local adversaries Wigan Athletic. Manager Neil Lennon lauded him as an exceptional talent, leading to Clough signing a contract extension through 2017 shortly thereafter.

During his league debut on 31 January against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Clough scored twice within three minutes in a match that ended 2–2. In an FA Cup fourth-round replay versus Liverpool, he earned a penalty and was praised by Fabrice Muamba as the standout player on the field. By late February 2015, Clough had become Bolton’s top scorer for the campaign with six goals across nine appearances. Unfortunately, a dislocated shoulder sustained in a league fixture against Reading forced him out for the remainder of the season—a setback Lennon described as a major blow.

Clough’s impressive breakthrough season led to a nomination for the MBNA Northwest Football Awards’ 2015 Mob Sport Rising Star of the Year. In October 2015, he committed his future to Bolton once again by signing another contract extension lasting until summer 2019.

Early in the 2015–16 season, Clough suffered a dislocation of his other shoulder, sidelining him for approximately three months. By January 2016, interest had emerged from clubs such as Everton and Bristol City; although Bristol City’s £3 million offer was accepted by Bolton, Clough opted to remain at Bolton after turning down their contract proposal. Interest from Middlesbrough and Fulham reappeared during August 2016.

Following an October 2016 period where he scored five goals—including a brace against local rivals Bury—Clough earned recognition as League One Player of the Month, underscoring his importance as a leading attacking figure for Bolton Wanderers.

Nottingham Forest

On 30 January 2017, Clough completed a transfer to Nottingham Forest, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee believed by local media to be around £3 million. He made his Forest debut on 4 February in a 2–1 triumph over Aston Villa. Clough recorded his first goals for Forest during a 3–0 win against eventual runners-up Brighton; however, Brighton contested the validity of his opening goal due to an offside dispute. On 18 March, he found the net in the fiercely contested local derby against rivals Derby County, which concluded in a 2–2 draw. After three years with Forest, Clough departed following mutual agreement to terminate his contract, explaining that financial factors rather than football-related issues influenced his limited playing time during that spell.

Return to Bolton Wanderers (loan)

On 31 January 2018, the final day of the transfer window, Clough rejoined Bolton Wanderers on loan until the conclusion of the season, accompanied by his Nottingham Forest colleague Tyler Walker. Clough made his second debut for Bolton by coming on as a substitute for Walker after 58 minutes in a 1–0 triumph over Bristol City. He netted his first goal since returning to Bolton during a 1–0 victory against Sunderland on 20 February 2018.

Rochdale (loan)

Clough moved to Rochdale on loan from 31 August 2018 until January 2019. He opened his scoring account for Rochdale in a 2–1 EFL Trophy win against Bury on 4 September 2018. On 31 January 2019, he extended his stay at Rochdale on loan for the rest of the 2018–19 campaign. Clough later acknowledged that injuries during this period curtailed his opportunities to feature regularly.

Wigan Athletic

On 22 January 2021, Clough secured a short-term contract with Wigan Athletic competing in EFL League One, lasting until the end of the 2020–21 season. He made his debut in a goalless draw versus Fleetwood Town at the DW Stadium and recorded his first goal for Wigan in a thrilling 4–3 home loss to Swindon Town on the final matchday. After making thirteen appearances, Wigan confirmed on 26 May that Clough would be released once his contract expired. Reflecting on his stint with Wigan, Clough mentioned limited starting opportunities due to fitness challenges but expressed that he enjoyed the overall experience.

Carlisle United

Following his release from Wigan, Clough signed a two-year deal with Carlisle United in EFL League Two on 22 June 2021. This move reunited him with manager Chris Beech (footballer, born 1974), whom he had previously worked with during a loan spell at Rochdale AFC. Clough scored his inaugural goal for Carlisle in a 2–1 away defeat to Hartlepool United. After featuring in twenty-three matches across all competitions, he departed Carlisle on 31 January 2022 via a free transfer to join an overseas club; the destination was not revealed.

Adelaide United

On 5 February 2022, Clough signed with A-League Men outfit Adelaide United on a contract extending through the remainder of the season. He made his debut on 12 February 2022 in a 1–1 draw against Wellington Phoenix FC. Clough scored his first goal for Adelaide during the second leg of the semi-final against Melbourne City FC, putting Adelaide ahead before extra time.

Clough committed to a two-year contract extension on 6 June 2022, ensuring his stay until the conclusion of the 2023–24 season. For the following season, he adopted the number 10 jersey and featured in the opening match against Wellington Phoenix FC, although he missed seven subsequent fixtures due to a thigh injury. On 20 January 2023, he registered his second goal of that campaign versus Macarthur FC, having earlier scored in the Australia Cup. A calf injury sidelined him for three late-season games including a playoff fixture, but he returned for the semi-final clash with Central Coast Mariners.

The start of the 2023–24 season saw Clough set a club record at Adelaide United by contributing either a goal or assist in eight consecutive matches. This run included four goals and three assists in the A-League, along with two goals in the Australia Cup. On 6 December 2023, he signed another two-year extension to remain with Adelaide through the end of the 2025–26 Isuzu UTE A-League season.

Concluding the 2023–24 season, Clough appeared twenty-eight times across all competitions and scored ten goals, missing just one game due to becoming a father for the first time. His performances earned him the Aurelio Vidmar Medal as Adelaide United's Player of the Year. On 16 July 2025, Clough departed Adelaide United to pursue an opportunity abroad.

Selangor

On 22 July 2025, Clough completed a move to the Malaysia Super League side Selangor for a transfer fee that was not publicly disclosed.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals categorized by club, season, and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bolton Wanderers	2014–15	Championship	8	5	2	1	0	0	—		—		10	6
	2015–16		28	7	0	0	1	0	—		—		29	7
	2016–17	League One	23	9	4	0	0	0	—		2	0	29	9
	Cumulative total		59	21	6	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	68	22
Nottingham Forest	2016–17	Championship	14	4	—		—		—		—		14	4
	2017–18		13	0	2	0	2	0	—		—		17	0
	2018–19		0	0	—		—		—		—		0	0
	2019–20		0	0	—		—		—		—		0	0
	2020–21		0	0	—		—		—		—		0	0
	Aggregate total		27	4	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	31	4
Bolton Wanderers (loan)	2017–18	Championship	9	1	—		—		—		—		9	1
Rochdale (loan)	2018–19	League One	9	0	1	0	—		—		3	1	13	1
Wigan Athletic	2020–21		13	1	0	0	0	0	—		0	0	13	1
Carlisle United	2021–22	League Two	17	2	1	0	colspan="2"|—	4	23	3

Honours

Personal Achievements

• Football League One Player of the Month: October 2016
• Adelaide United Aurelio Vidmar Medal recipient (Player of the Year) 2023–24