He then cut a disconsolate figure watching from the sidelines as City spiralled out of the second tier for the first time in their history. Clemence would not have dared contemplate such a miserable time at the Walkers Stadium when he joined City for £700,000 in July 2007. He often bore the brunt of the criticism as City went in the opposite direction to the Premier League aspirations of new owner Milan Mandaric. Clemence, the son of former England keeper Ray, started his career as a trainee at Spurs and went on to make 84 starts for the White Hart Lane club. He moved to the Midlands in 2003 and helped the Blues win promotion to the Premier League in the 2006-07 campaign. Now Clemence is targeting a strong return to action during the pre-season. He still holds the position of club skipper with Matt Oakley his official stand-in.