As a sculptured 6ft 5in forward with an eye for goal, Tom Clare is the kind of towering presence defenders dread seeing on the opposite side of the pitch on a Saturday afternoon.
Now the northern powerhouse is hoping to prove as popular on reality TV as he is at his non-league club when he swaps Cheshire for the Cape Winelands and heads to a villa in South Africa to take part in the UK version of salacious hit show 'Love Island'.
The strapping striker has been given the blessing of key figures at Macclesfield to become a target for tittle-tattle rather than crosses, with former Manchester United midfielder Robbie Savage - now a prominent board member at the club - backing him to win Love Island.
Why is the Lionel Messi admirer on the show? How does Love Island work? What does Clare make of his mid-season holiday in front of the cameras? The Sporting News takes a look.
Love Island 2023 contestants: Who is Tom Clare?
The 23-year-old is a semi-professional footballer for Macclesfield, a dog-lover and — conveniently in light of the sun-kissed brush with fame he is about to have — a fan of beach holidays.
"Not for me, this cold weather," he once told his thousands of Instagram followers, looking typically toned while posing topless on a boat.
Clare certainly fits the bill for a show synonymous with bulging biceps, megawatt smiles and a cast who could come straight out of a modelling shoot.
He has been given a glowing reference by Savage, who had his own time in the celebrity spotlight when he took part in TV show Strictly Come Dancing following a playing career that took in clubs including Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion.
"He's a great, humble guy," said Savage, advising Clare to "just be himself" during an interview with William Hill. "He's got a great opportunity. We're going to miss him.
"The big question is 'why did Macclesfield let him go?', but what an opportunity for the youngster. It's a life-changing experience, you can earn a lot of money from it, so we gave him our blessing – 'go and enjoy it, go and win it, come back to Macc, win us the league.'"
Clare has set his sights on securing a spouse in South Africa. "Since my ex-girlfriend, no-one’s really come to me and I’ve thought, ‘Wow’," he explained when his involvement was announced.
"Until I have that, I’m not really going to settle for less. Not in a bad way – but the next person I get with, I want to marry."
Tom Clare's football record
Clare began his career at hometown club Barnsley, a former Premier League side with whom the likes of England defenders John Stones and Harry Maguire took their first steps in to the professional game.
After almost 11 years in the Tykes' youth system, Clare had a trial for another former Premier League club, Bradford City, at the end of the 2017/18 season before making the switch across Yorkshire.
Bradford's Head of Recruitment at the time, Greg Abbott, said Clare had "a lot going for him", describing the prospect as a "traditional big number nine." "Tom is one of that dying breed of tall, physical goalscorers," added Abbott.
City loaned Clare to Boston United towards the end of his one-year deal at the club, and his return of five goals in 15 games earned him a permanent move before spells at fellow non-league sides Bradford Park Avenue, Buxton and Pontefract.
MORE: Premier League top goal scorers 2022-2023: Updated golden boot rankings
Macclesfield have provided a longer-term home for Clare since he joined the newly-formed club in July 2021, and they have been rewarded with prolific form from their top scorer last season.
His 23 goals in 2021/22 included one in a decisive 4-0 win to seal promotion from the North West Counties Football League Premier Division in front of an ecstatic crowd at their Leasing.com home.
The stadium is the same ground used by the former incarnation of the club, Macclesfield Town, which had a long history in the football league and played a part in the career of former England striker Rickie Lambert before being wound up in 2020 after 149 years.
Savage was involved in the creation of a phoenix version of the club in late 2020. Clare has not played as regularly in 2022/23, but he has still scored eight goals in another excellent campaign for the Silkmen, whose eight-point lead at the top of their division may have made the decision to release Clare to the villa easier.
"Tom approached us with the request a number of weeks ago and we were happy to show the same loyalty that he has to us since becoming one of our first-ever signings back in 2021," the club said in a statement on January 12.
"Despite the fact that we are disappointed to lose a player of Tom’s calibre for the foreseeable future, we also recognise the incredible opportunity that this represents for both him and his family on a personal level.
"Tom remains very much part of our plans here at the Leasing.com Stadium and has expressed his unwavering desire to return to the Club after the show. We wish Tom every success and look forward to welcoming him back to the club in due course."
Love Island footballers: Who's been a contestant on the ITV show?
Part-time players have frequently received the Love Island call-up, foregoing the entertainment of modest crowds for the more intense spotlight of a series watched by millions of viewers on primetime TV.
In the 2022 UK series, striker Luca Bish was a runner-up and established a link with an England legend courtesy of the contestant he was coupled with.
Gemma Owen is the daughter of former Three Lions hotshot Michael Owen, and the ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid marksman was pictured with Bish on a family occasion before the part-time Brighton fishmonger split up with his Love Island partner.
Bish signed for Sussex club Hailsham Town in September 2022.
Footballers have experienced mixed fortunes on Love Island. Former MK Dons defender Finn Tapp won the sixth series, but Dennon Lewis, who has been part of Boreham Wood's latest long run in the FA Cup, was ousted after only five days.
Clare is not the first player to link Macclesfield with Love Island: well-travelled former Arsenal prodigy and Silkmen defender Luis Morrison took part in the first season of the show, and Adam Jukes was a part of their squad during their 2009/10 season in League Two before going on to feature in the 2016 series.
Clubs are not always as accommodating as Macclesfield have been to Clare. Halifax Town said they would review the situation when Jamie Allen joined Love Island in 2022, and the Montserrat international left by mutual consent after returning from the villa.
Tapp and former Darlington player Luke Trotman are among the examples of players whose profiles have been raised far beyond the usual expectations of previously little-known footballers thanks to their exploits on the show, with both boasting Instagram audiences well beyond a million followers.
Love Island also has a legacy of sportspeople taking part in the show, such as boxer Tommy Fury - the half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson - and 6ft 8in basketball player Ovie Soko.
What time is Love Island on tonight?
The public will be given their first full-feature glimpse of Clare and the rest of the islanders when the drama begins on January 16, 2023.
The first episode will be aired at 21:00 GMT, when host Maya Jama will introduce the latest season of the dating show.
How to watch Love Island 2023
Fans can follow Love Island on TV by watching ITV 2, with a chance to catch each episode again an hour later on ITV 2+1.
Catch-up viewing, interviews and clips are also available on demand on ITV X and ITV's website.
